CVS Health commits to sell cage-free egg products by end of 2022
The Humane League, a global animal protection nonprofit with a mission to end the abuse of animals raised for food, announced that CVS Health has accelerated progress toward its commitment to selling 100% cage-free eggs and egg products, which will now happen by year-end 2022.
Initially, the company had pledged to be cage free across its 9,900 retail locations by 2025, which means that the commitment has been accelerated by three years.
“We applaud CVS for recognizing that they could switch to cage-free eggs much quicker than anticipated and taking that significant step to reduce the suffering of egg-laying hens as soon as possible,” said Vicky Bond, president of The Humane League.
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The organization said that prior to making this animal welfare policy commitment, CVS Health consulted with The Humane League.
Confined hens live in cramped, filthy cages with six to 10 other birds — each with no more room than the space of an iPad, the Humane League said.
“The cages are so small and crowded that hens cannot engage in their natural or instinctive behaviors. Often, their bodies are caught in the caging, resulting in fractured or broken bones, deformities, and severe feather loss,” the organization said. “Some hens, unable to move, end up trampled to death by their cage mates. Eliminating cage systems significantly improves the well-being of the hens raised in supply chains. While there is more to be done to make long-term changes to their quality of life, this is a significant first step for egg-laying hens.”
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As consumer demand for cage-free eggs continues to grow, companies have been abandoning cages around the world. More than 2,000 cage-free commitments, 100 of which are global policies, to end the use of battery cages have been made by some of the largest companies in the world, including Nestlé, Aldi, InterContinental Hotels, Sodexo, Kraft Heinz, Compass Group, Shake Shack, Famous Brands, Costa Coffee, Burger King, Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme, Unilever and Barilla.