WattAgNet: McDonald’s Australia moving to cage-free eggs

McDonald’s Australia announces on its Facebook page that it hopes to implement the switch to cage-free eggs by the end of 2017
Release Date: 2014-09-15
McDonald’s is moving toward using cage-free eggs at its Australian restaurants. The company announced its move on its Facebook page on September 12 with the following statement: “We’d like to let our fans know first and announce that we’re working towards a move to cage-free eggs with our suppliers by the end of 2017. This is part of a broader animal welfare initiative, which we will share more details on in the coming weeks.”

The decision to switch to cage-free eggs is in response to campaigns from animal rights groups and consumers who have been calling for what they view as a more humane approach and higher welfare standards.

McDonald’s Australia spokeswoman told news.com that the company will ensure that Australian farmers will be able to continue to supply eggs to McDonald’s for the long-term, and that customers have a clear understanding of where McDonald’s eggs come from.

The announcement made on Facebook as of mid-morning on September 15 had already gathered 990 comments, with the majority of those commenting on the topic showing support for the McDonald’s decision. That post also gathered 4,677 “likes” and was shared by 197 people.

This will not be the first time McDonald’s phased out eggs from caged hens. In 2010, McDonald’s stopped using them at its European locations in 2010.