Local shoppers pressure one of the nation’s largest grocers after failing to fulfill their 2025 commitment
LOS ANGELES — Kroger promised customers it would go 100% cage-free. Instead, the nation’s number one supermarket chain failed to deliver, leaving millions of hens confined in cages across its supply chain, raising serious concerns about corporate accountability and consumer deception.
In 2016, Kroger pledged to eliminate cages for egg-laying hens by 2025. In 2022, the company weakened that commitment, reducing its goal to just 70% by 2030 and failing to provide a clear, time-bound plan to fully eliminate cages. Despite its ‘fresh’ marketing, Kroger continues to profit from a filthy cage system that confines hens to spaces smaller than a sheet of notebook paper.
“Kroger’s broken promise is a betrayal of both animals and consumers,” said Maha Bazzi, Director of Animal Welfare Initiatives at Mercy For Animals. “While Kroger’s billion-dollar marketing creates a facade of freshness and care, the reality for millions of hens is a lifetime behind bars with no end in sight. Mercy For Animals is here to ensure consumers have the facts so Kroger can’t mask this misery any longer.”
In cities like Atlanta and Chicago, two of Kroger’s most significant markets, the retailer is already facing scrutiny over the gap between its ‘Fresh for Everyone’ promise and its actual supply chain practices. Kroger maintains a major regional presence in Atlanta, where attention is turning to leadership and the company’s failure to deliver. In Chicago, Kroger’s Mariano’s stores are facing similar questions, as shoppers confront a disconnect between the brand’s premium image and the continued sourcing of eggs from caged hens.
Kroger controls a significant portion of the U.S. egg market and holds immense power over industry standards. While competitors like Ahold Delhaize and Target have published detailed roadmaps to fully eliminate cages, Kroger’s reversal puts the company at odds with industry momentum and consumer expectations.
These birds spend their lives on wire floors, unable to move freely, spread their wings, or ever step on solid ground.
“Kroger is choosing to profit from a system of extreme cruelty while its competitors move toward a cage-free future,” Bazzi added. “Kroger has the resources to empty these cages today; they simply lack the will to honor their word.”
Advocates are calling on Kroger to restore a clear, time-bound commitment to 100% cage-free sourcing, supported by a transparent roadmap with measurable interim milestones. The public is encouraged to join this call for accountability by visiting KrogerUnmasked.com and MarianosUnmasked.com.
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Melanie Greene at [email protected].
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Mercy For Animals is a leading international nonprofit working to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. Active in Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and the United States, the organization has conducted over 100 investigations of factory farms and slaughterhouses, influenced over 500 corporate policies, and helped pass historic legislation to ban cages for farmed animals. Learn more at MercyForAnimals.org.
