Today Albertsons, the nation’s second-largest grocer, announced its commitment to improving animal welfare in its entire supply chain by switching to 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2025 for all its stores and affiliate locations, including Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Star Market, and Carrs. The move, which will spare countless hens a life of suffering in tiny wire cages, follows an aggressive campaign by Mercy For Animals and The Humane League.
Among other actions, MFA gathered more than 65,000 signatures on a Change.org petition targeting Safeway and Albertsons executives, staged protests at Safeway’s corporate headquarters and in front of Safeway stores, coordinated an online advertising campaign featuring kids asking Safeway to go cage-free, and published open letters by TV legend Bob Barker and Oscar-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix to the CEO of Albertsons and Safeway.
Albertsons’ new cage-free egg commitment follows similar announcements by Giant, Stop & Shop, Costco, Target, CVS, Trader Joe’s, and BJ’s Wholesale Club.
Stuffed into cages so small the birds can’t walk, fully spread their wings, or engage in other natural behaviors, these intelligent, sensitive animals are subjected to unspeakable cruelty and neglect. Many birds become trapped and painfully mangled in cage wire or under feed trays and often suffer and die. Dead hens are left to rot alongside birds still laying eggs for human consumption. Battery cages are so cruel they’ve been banned by California, Michigan, and the European Union.
While cage-free doesn’t mean cruelty-free, the new cage-free egg policy adopted by Albertsons will reduce the suffering of countless hens and hopefully inspire other food companies to commit to similar polices.
Remember, the best way to help hens is to leave eggs off your plate altogether. Visit ChooseVeg.com for delicious egg-free recipes and baking alternatives.