Bruegger’s Switch to Cage-Free Eggs Hits More Locations

Bruegger's is hatching a new policy for its Vermont and Western Massachusetts locations, drawing praise from the nation's largest animal protection organization.

The Humane Society of the United States is applauding the Burlington-based company for switching to the exclusive use of cage-free eggs at its Burlington, Shelburne and Brattleboro locations in Vermont, as well as its Amherst and Northampton locations in Massachusetts. The new policy is effective January 2.

Last March, all of the company's Wisconsin locations stopped serving eggs from caged hens.

Bruegger's Vice President of Marketing Paula Doyle states, "Bruegger's is pleased to bring our cage-free egg initiative to more restaurants. The policy furthers our corporate philosophy of social responsibility."

"The Humane Society of the United States welcomes Bruegger's further move away from battery cage eggs," said Paul Shapiro, senior director of The HSUS' factory farming campaign.

Facts

• U.S. factory farms confine nearly 280 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can't even spread their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live.
• There is a snowballing national movement against battery cages. Burger King, Hardee's and Carl's Jr. are beginning to use cage-free eggs. Wolfgang Puck is ending his use of cage eggs. Several grocery chains, including Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, have stopped selling cage eggs. Companies such as AOL and Google have ended the use of cage eggs in their employee cafeterias.
• While cage-free does not mean cruelty-free, cage-free hens generally have 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens. Cage free hens may not be able to go outside, but they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.

Timeline

• August 2007—Hardee's and Carl's Jr. commit to phasing in the use of cage-free eggs and pork from suppliers that don't use gestation crates.
• August 2007—The HSUS begins a campaign urging Wendy's to stop lagging behind its competitors and to start using cage-free eggs.
• March 2007—Burger King announces that it has started phasing in the use of cage-free eggs in its North American locations.
• March 2007—Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announces that he will no longer use eggs from caged hens.
• September 2006—Ben & Jerry's announces that it will phase out the use of eggs from caged hens in all its ice creams.
• May 2005—Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace announce that they have ended sales of eggs from caged hens.
• November 2003—The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label eggs from battery-caged hens as "Animal Care Certified."
• 2000-2002—McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's require that their meat and egg supplier abide by very modest animal welfare standards.

-30-

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization—backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the web at humanesociety.org.