Unilever wants you to believe it’s a force for good—a trusted name in every home, a sustainability leader, a company with values. But behind the polished branding is a reality they don’t advertise.
Here are five reasons Unilever is worse than you thought—and why this campaign matters now.
1. A Broken promise with global consequences
Unilever publicly committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs globally by 2025. Then, in 2025, the company walked it back—keeping this goal for Europe and North America only.
Today, more than 2 million hens remain trapped in cages because Unilever chose profit over consistency.
2. Selective ethics, unequal standards
Unilever didn’t say cage-free was impossible. They decided it wasn’t necessary everywhere: “Our priority going forward is to maintain 100% cage-free eggs in North America and Europe, which are our biggest markets. We will end our commitment to reach 100% cage free eggs globally”, Unilever Sustainability Report, 2025.
Hens and compassionate consumers in Latin America, Asia, and other regions were left behind. Ethical treatment became a regional privilege.
3. Everyday products, hidden cruelty
With over 400 brands sold in more than 190 countries, Unilever is everywhere—your kitchen, your fridge, your bathroom.
Behind many of these products are eggs from hens confined in wire cages so cramped that the animals are unable to spread their wings or express basic natural behaviors.
4. Millions of animals affected
Unilever uses approximately 4.9 million hens in their egg supply chain who produce more than 1.3 billion eggs every year. Over 2,057,594 hens are still caged, enduring extreme confinement, injury, and chronic stress.
This isn’t accidental. It’s systemic.
5. A pattern of backsliding
Unilever’s cage-free rollback didn’t happen in isolation. The company has faced multiple ethics and sustainability scandals over the years, including: Misleading sustainability claims, controversial marketing around ethical products that were shown to underdeliver, and corporate decisions that favored public relations over real systemic change.
Big promises upfront. Quiet reversals later.
What can YOU do?
The Unilever Unmasked campaign—led by Mercy For Animals and the Open Wing Alliance (OWA)—exists because silence enables cruelty. When powerful companies like Unilever backslide on public commitments without facing consequences, animal suffering becomes the standard rather than the exception. That’s why action matters now.
Unilever wants to keep the mask on. We won’t let them. You can help demand accountability by signing the petition calling on Unilever to reinstate its global cage-free commitment and by joining the campaign to expose the cruelty hidden behind everyday brands. Together, we can push for real change.
