WASHINGTON – Nestlé is the newest company to join the cage-free egg movement. The company announced it will transition to using only cage-free eggs in all of its US products within the next five years.
Nestlé uses approximately 20 million lbs. of eggs annually in a variety of its food brands including Häagen-Dazs, Dreyer’s and Edy’s ice creams, Nestlé Toll House cookie dough and Buitoni pasta. Eggs are also an important ingredient in many of the Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s breakfast items.
“Our products are in the fridges and pantries of socially-conscious consumers across the United States, and we share their belief in the importance of responsibly-sourced ingredients,” said Paul Grimwood, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA. “The move to using exclusively cage-free eggs is one more way that we’re responding to consumers and establishing a precedent for farm animal welfare.”
In 2012, Nestle made a company-wide commitment toward farm animal welfare – its cage-free pledge builds on this mission. The company outlined its plan to eliminate specific farming practices, like tail docking for cattle and pigs, gestation crates for pigs and veal crates. Nestlé works with World Animal Protection, a global animal welfare organization, to assess its suppliers against these commitments.
“We are proud to partner with Nestlé who are listening to their customers’ concerns and putting animal welfare at the forefront of their purchasing power,” said Martin Cooke of World Animal Protection. “They are taking a responsible approach to their sourcing of eggs, which will ultimately improve the lives of millions of hens.”
