Number One Egg Brand in America to Go Cage-Free

Eggland’s Best, America’s largest specialty egg brand, has made history by announcing its adoption of a cage-free egg policy to take full effect by 2025. The news follows the release of damning undercover footage obtained by Mercy For Animals (MFA) during an investigation earlier this year into an Eggland’s Best supplier farm in Washington state. The footage showed “violent and abusive treatment” of hens confined by cages. “Hens who lay eggs sold under the Eggland’s Best brand lead lives filled with horrific suffering and deprivation crammed inside filthy cages,” MFA President Nathan Runkle said earlier this year. “Eggland’s Best must do better by getting hens out of cruel cages.” The company pledged to do just that late last week, and said it “[looks] forward to continuing our leadership in improving all aspects of cage-free egg production and animal welfare.” Mercy For Animals acknowledged that “while cage-free doesn’t mean cruelty-free,” the move is a net animal welfare win, as it will spare more than 15 million hens from suffering in cruel, debilitating conditions.