News

Focus Brands and its 5,000 locations commit to all cage-free eggs in 10 years

August 9, 2016

More than 5,000 ice cream shops, restaurants and bakeries operated by Focus Brands committed today to transition to cage-free eggs over the next 10 years, according to a news release. The company, whose many brands operate under the Carvel name, said in the news release that it was making the transition by 2026 due specifically to "growing consumer sentiment towards cage-free eggs and the adoption of this (cage-free egg use only) policy by several other food service companies," according to the news release announcing the move. 

Focus Brands operates under the name of Carvel, Cinnabon, Schlotzky's, Moe Southwest Grill, Auntie Anne's, McAlister's Deli and Seattle's Best Coffee. The company's press release said those brands — which specialize in an assortment of foods, including pastries, sandwiches, pretzels and Mexican dishes — are "not a large user of eggs or food items with egg as an ingredient."

Nonetheless, the company said it will work with its suppliers over the next 10 years to make sure that by 2026 all locations are using only cage-free eggs. 

"In addition to industry trends and the growing consumer preference for cage-free eggs in other channels such as (the) grocery, today we are casting our vote with consumers and will work toward meeting these new supply standards.” said Focus Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain Rich Kamph.

Many food service chains here and across the globe are transitioning to cage-free eggs — often in shorter periods of time than the 10 years Focus Brands said it will use to make the supply change. Many food service businesses have made the change because they consider the cage-free conditions far more humane, as do many of their dining customers. 

Due to increased reporting on the food production industry in the U.S., the public is growing far more aware of the often inhumane conditions in which livestock are raised. In the case of egg-laying hens, most in this country are forced to live and produce the eggs we eat in so-called "battery cages," which are typically smaller than a single sheet of letter paper.

They live their entire lives in these receptacles unable to spread their wings, perch, nest or do much of anything aside from produce eggs. The public is increasingly demanding eggs only from hens raised cage-free so that they can walk, spread their wings and lay eggs in nests, which is not only far less stressful for the birds, but some believe more health-promoting for the eggs they produce.