Tipping point reached on cage-free (commentary)
The days of delivering eggs to market cheaply and efficiently will soon be over.
Trader Joe's, a grocery store chain with every bit of the unquestioned customer loyalty that Chipotle enjoys in the restaurant biz, has decided to get behind the growing cage-free egg movement. The company has announced it will begin selling only cage-free eggs in all stores by 2025 although western U.S. locations will switch by 2020.
"Getting behind" is a phrase that is correct on several levels. The little ripple created by certain activist groups a decade ago grew into a tidal wave in September when McDonald's, that fast-food Monster on the Midway, announced they would pirouette toward cage-free status. Already a step or two ahead were chains like Panera, Subway, Taco Bell, Wendy's, even tiny Shake Shack. Packaged foods companies like Nestle and Mars are also claiming 'soon to be' status.
Trader Joe's seems to be on the back side of a fast rising curve.
Matthew Prescott, senior food policy director for the Humane Society of the United States, emailed me a few weeks ago with news that "The cage-free tipping point continues. Just in the last few days, here are some of the corporate cage-free announcements made:
Tim Hortons (Canada’s largest restaurant chain) announced it will transition to 100% cage-free eggs. The announcement comes via Tim Hortons’ parent company, Restaurant Brands International; it’s a global commitment that will apply to all the company’s U.S., Canadian, and Mexican locations by 2025.
Bob Evans announced plans to reach 100% cage-free egg supply chain.
Sonic Drive-In (which uses 155 million eggs annually for its 3,500 locations) committed to going exclusively cage-free.
Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. announced it will eliminate cages from their (substantial) egg supply chains.
PF Chang’s proclaimed that it too will go 100% cage-free.
White Castle pledged to switch to 100% cage-free eggs.
And Starwood Hotels announced it too will go 100% cage-free.
Just this week, Ahold, one the nation’s top grocery companies with chains like Giant and Stop & Shop, announced it will switch to 100% cage-free eggs by 2022. Then Bloomin' Brands, owners of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s jumped on board followed by Krystal, the Atlanta-based fast food chain with more than 350 locations in the Southeast.
The longer list published by HSUS represents the majority of America's retail egg-users. According to the Society, these companies have committed to using only cage-free eggs. The year they say they will complete the transition is included.:
• Currently: Noodles & Company
• 2016: Shake Shack
• 2016: Taco Bell