DESPITE THE impact of the Covid-19 crisis, food companies and producers around the world have continued to make progress on their commitments to source only eggs from hens that are cage-free by 2026 or sooner.

This year's Compassion in World Farming EggTrack report has, for the first time, looked outwith the EU and the USA to provide a truly global view of the egg market. – and it claims to have found a continuing increase in market demand for cage-free eggs, while 134 of the 210 companies being tracked 'made progress' towards meeting their cage-free commitments.

Since 2016, the number of companies with such commitments has grown from five to more than 37, with the list now including global giants like Unilever, Nestlé, Grupo Bimbo, Compass Group, Aldi Nord, and Aldi Sud. But Italian multinational food company Barilla is the only company to have actually met its global cage-free commitment, which it did in 2019.

At the same time, however, a significant number of multinational companies such as McDonald’s, Subway, Walmart, and Burger King, have committed to eliminate cages in some regions but have yet to extend those commitments across their entire global supply chains, noted CIWF: "Laying hens experience the same physical, behavioural, and psychological distress of being caged wherever they are reared – we therefore look forward to these global giants extending their cage-free commitments soon," said the welfare campaigners.

Some highlights from the 2020 Egg Track exercise include:

• General Mills increased its global cage-free sourcing from 40% to 55%;

• Danone increased its global cage-free sourcing from 43% to 88%;

• McDonald’s are reporting 100% cage-free shell eggs in Europe, and although they have achieved cage-free status on both shell eggs and egg product/ingredients in four European countries – UK, Germany, France, Netherlands – they do not yet have a global cage-free commitment.

• Subway are reporting 100% cage-free for both shell eggs and egg products/ingredients in Europe but they do not yet have a global cage-free commitment.

CIWF noted that while some companies had missed deadlines, others had omitted their cage-free commitments from the public domain, either as a result of an intentional retraction or an inadequate prioritisation of animal welfare commitments during website updates and changes. These include:

• CKE Restaurants, Krispy Kreme Donuts, Paluani, Continental Foods, Asda, Independent Grocers Alliance, Pret a Manger, IKEA, and B.GOOD all had whole or regional commitments that can no longer be found in the public domain;

• Burger King retracted its European cage-free egg commitment.

CIWF director of food business, Dr Tracey Jones concluded: “It has never been clearer that the future of egg production will be – and must be – cage-free. This year’s EggTrack report shows that although progress has been made, which is remarkable against the backdrop of the Coronavirus pandemic, there is still considerable work to be done, especially as we increase our focus at a global level and track commitments for all egg types, not just shell.

“Companies are leading the way on a cage-free future but building a supply chain capable of meeting the 2025 demand for cage-free eggs will take time and cooperation between producers and purchasers. It also requires investment into well-designed systems if we are to deliver the expected welfare benefits that can stand the test of time for consumer acceptability."