McDonald’s achieves 100% procurement of cage-free eggs in the US. -Achieved 2 years ahead of target-

ケージフリー マクドナルド

In recent years, the concept of “animal welfare” has been spreading around the world from the perspective of animal protection and environmental issues.

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For example, in the case of egg-laying hens, “cage-free” rearing is recommended in accordance with animal welfare. In Europe, some countries have already banned cage-free egg production by law. In addition, an increasing number of companies are also making “cage-free declarations,” in which they promise consumers that they will switch to cage-free eggs for their own use.

In fact, the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), which aims to eradicate cage keeping of egg-laying hens, released its “Cage-Free Progress and Achievement Report” in May 2022. According to the report, 88% of the companies that had made “cage-free commitments” to eliminate caged egg-laying hens from their supply chains by 2021 have achieved their commitments. This is higher than the 85% achievement rate in the previous year’s survey, which covered the year 2020, and is higher than the previous result.

[Related articles] “Cage-Free Pledge” to eliminate cages for egg-laying hens, 88% of companies fulfill their pledge.

Cage Free McDonald's

Against this backdrop, McDonald’s announced on its official website that it has achieved its goal of sourcing 100% cage-free eggs in the United States by 2025, two years earlier than originally planned.

McDonald’s will purchase approximately 2 billion eggs in the U.S. by 2023; since the decision to switch to purchasing cage-free eggs in the U.S. in 2015, management, suppliers and employees have been working toward a common goal. To improve quality and safety, each farm in the U.S. that supplies eggs to McDonald’s has a veterinarian on staff. They are leading the training and education of staff to ensure a high level of care.

In addition, the supply of cage-free eggs on a U.S. scale would not have been possible without the support of Cargill and its egg producers, according to the company. Forsman Farms, a fourth-generation Minnesota-based family-owned operation, worked from scratch to make the changes necessary to become certified cage-free, and McDonald’s and Cargill Incorporated aligned to support them through the transition.

McDonald’s has helped egg producers build, renovate, and introduce new technologies to their farms, including Herbruck Chicken Farm, a fourth-generation family-owned operation in Michigan that has been in operation since 1958 and has supplied systems to McDonald’s and Cargill for decades.

Bob Stewart, McDonald’s Senior Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer North America, said in an announcement on the company’s official website, “Our commitment to transition to 100% cage-free egg sourcing in the United States has been a major undertaking. This was only possible when the owner/operator, Cargill and its egg producers, and our supply chain worked together as one team. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together and the positive impact we will continue to have on the road to a more sustainable future.”

Cage Free McDonald's

In Japan, the change to 100% cage-free eggs for use in the Cabinet Office cafeteria in August 2021 has made headlines. In addition, cage-free eggs are increasingly being seen in major food supermarkets such as Aeon and Costco.

As consumer awareness of cage-free eggs grows daily, more and more customers are likely to become concerned about what kind of eggs restaurants are using.

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採卵鶏のケージ撤廃を目指す「ケージフリー公約」、88%の企業が公約を実現

[Reference Site] McDonald’s Achieves Goal of Sourcing 100% Cage-Free Eggs in the U.S.

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