Welfarists Back Woolworths' Move to Phase out Caged Eggs
AUSTRALIA - Increasing demand for higher welfare food has seen Woolworths announce that it will stop selling cage eggs in all cartons and in home brand products by 2018.
9 October 2013
2 minute read
According to Australia's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), with 11 million Australian hens currently confined to cages too small for them to even spread their wings, the announcement will make a significant difference to hen welfare.
"Woolworths’ commitment will change the lives of millions of hens and shows just how effective consumer purchasing power can be," said Melina Tensen, RSPCA Senior Scientific Officer, Farm Animals.
According to the RSPCA, hens confined to cages suffer continuously – they are not able to perch, dust bathe, forage or lay their eggs in the privacy of a nest.
Ms Tensen said that Woolworths’ commitment will improve the lives of many hens in the future but consumers can make an enormous difference right now by buying cage-free eggs and egg products.
"Switching to cage-free is a small price to pay when you consider the big difference it can make to the life of a hen," she said.
