Kraft Heinz, the world’s fifth-largest food and beverage company, will eliminate cages from its egg supply chain world-wide. This new global policy will be adopted in the 25 countries in which Kraft Heinz operates and will be transformative in helping free the 11 million hens currently confined to cages in Australia. Animals Australia applauded the commitment that will ensure products like Kraft Heinz’s mayonnaises and aiolis will be made with eggs exclusively from hens who are not confined to cages.
“Kraft Heinz has demonstrated that companies understand Australians expect brands to take animal welfare seriously. This commitment, which will see millions of hens spared from a crippling life in a cage, shows how leaders in the corporate sector can respond to community expectations,” said Jesse Marks, Director of Farmed Animal Advocacy for Animals Australia.
The announcement follows similar recent decisions by the world’s largest food manufacturer, Nestlé, and the biggest global hotel chain, Wyndham Hotel Group. Cage-free policies have already been announced by some of Australia’s biggest egg-using companies – including, Subway, McDonald’s, Hungry Jacks, Woolworths, Aldi, McCain, Arnott’s, Mondelez and Hilton.
This latest corporate cage-free commitment comes as Australians are being asked to provide feedback on new welfare standards for poultry.
“If the draft Poultry Standards go into law in their current form, millions of hens in Australia will be confined to cages for another 20 years or more — despite clear corporate and community unease about battery cages.”
Recent polling by McCrindle Research revealed that 84 per cent of Australians believe that battery cages for egg laying hens should be phased out.
“The community overwhelmingly opposes cages and more and more companies are cutting cage eggs from their supply chains. These should be clear signals to the egg industry that cage eggs are well past their expiry date,” said Marks.
Kraft Heinz’s policy follows negotiations with members of the Open Wing Alliance, a global coalition of animal protection organisations, including Animals Australia. Kraft Heinz’s commitment will result in a complete phase out of cage eggs in their Australian operations by 2025.
