WASHINGTON – The Humane Society of the United States applauds Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc. for joining the rapidly growing movement away from one of factory farming's worst abuses: battery cage confinement of egg-laying hens. The HSUS commended Bruegger's for implementing a cage-free egg policy for its Wisconsin locations, placing full-page ads in the state's two largest newspapers, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin State Journal.
The Vermont-based chain has Wisconsin locations in Madison, Milwaukee, Brookfield, Oconomowoc, Wauwatosa and Whitefish Bay. All of the cage-free eggs will be coming from a Wisconsin-based egg supplier.
"Supporting this initiative demonstrates Bruegger's commitment to quality and is consistent with our corporate philosophy of social responsibility," said Scott Hughes, vice president of marketing for Bruegger's.
"By moving away from eggs from caged hens in its Wisconsin locations, Bruegger's is helping prevent one of the worst factory farm abuses," said Paul Shapiro, Factory Farming Campaign director for The HSUS.
Egg-laying hens confined in battery cages have so little space they are unable to spread their wings or walk, let alone engage in other important natural behaviors such as nesting, foraging, perching and dust bathing. Each caged hen has less floor space than a single letter-sized sheet of paper on which to live, leading to extremely high levels of stress and frustration.
Bruegger's is in good company: a growing number of schools and companies are moving away from eggs from caged hens. University of Wisconsin-Madison joins more than 100 others across the country in enacting policies to eliminate or greatly reduce their use of eggs from caged hens.
National retailers such as Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace refuse to carry battery cage eggs. Trader Joe's has switched its private-line eggs to cage-free. Food service provider Bon Appétit is phasing out the use of eggs from caged hens in all of its 400 cafés. Even companies such as AOL and Google have ended the use of cage eggs in their employee cafeterias.
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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 www.humanesociety.org.
