A ‘Spotlight’ on cage-free progress for hens

The 2024 EggTrack highlights in-country company ‘Spotlights’ to showcase how companies in the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Poland are progressing toward achieving their 2025 commitments.

The Spotlights identify which companies are Leaders (already 100% cage-free), which are In Progress (on track to reach 100% by 2025), which are At Risk (of missing the 2025 deadline) and which are Laggards (have a commitment but are not reporting or have regressed on their progress).

UK leading the way

EggTrack 2024 shows that companies in the UK are leading the way on cage-free eggs - where 77% of the market is already cage free. Overall, 40 companies are included in the UK Spotlight, with 19 companies counted as Leaders, including Waitrose, M&S, Sainsbury’s, The Co-operative Food, Greggs, McDonald’s and Pizza Express. Six companies are In Progress including Noble Foods and Whitbread, whilst Asda, Lidl and Tesco are amongst the 12 At Risk. One Stop, Greene King and Spar (UK) Ltd are listed as Laggards.

Company progress in Europe

In France, where 70% of the market is already cage-free, 10 companies are recognised as Leaders including Danone Group, Pret A Manger and McDonald’s France, and 9 are In Progress including ALDI France, Groupe Casino and LDC. However, 12 are listed At Risk and 9 as Laggards.

In Italy, where 66% of the market is cage-free, 11 companies, including Barilla, ALDI Italy and Lidl Italy are recognised as Leaders, and 7 are In Progress including Carrefour Italy, Ferrero and Gruppo Selex. However, 5 are listed as Laggards.

Only 30% of the market is cage-free in Poland where there are just two Leaders: Biedronka and Group Zabka, and 5 In Progress including Carrefour and Lidl. While in Spain 33% of the market is cage-free and only three Leaders are listed: GB Foods, Grupo Avícola RUJAMAR and Lidl Spain.

View the EggTrack 2024 in-country Spotlights

Government support is vital

While many companies still have a lot of work ahead to meet their cage-free commitments, a major obstacle is the lack of legislation. Government action is crucial to solidify the progress made by food companies.

To support this call for action, Compassion has been joined by some of the UK’s largest food companies in sending a letter to the Defra Secretary of State, Steve Reed today, supporting a move to ban the installation of new cage systems immediately and to phase out all existing cage systems for egg-laying hens by the end of the current Parliament. Signatories include Waitrose, Greggs, Co-op, M&S, Morrisons, ALDI, The Big Table Group and Mitchells & Butlers.

Consumer concern for hen welfare

It’s not just food companies pushing for change, the UK public have simultaneously shown their support for an end to cages. A new poll, by More in Common, commissioned by Compassion, has found that more than two-thirds (67%) of the British public are willing to pay more (an estimated 6p extra on their weekly shop) for eggs produced from hens that are not kept in cages, while 75% of the British public believe the use of cages in farming is cruel.

Ending the Cage Age

Dr Tracey Jones, Global Director of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming said: “The UK EggTrack ‘Spotlight’ clearly highlights which businesses are on track to meet next year’s cage-free deadline, and those that are falling behind. 25 companies have either met or are making progress toward achieving their commitments, whilst 15 are at risk of missing the deadline.

To get hens out of cages, the UK Government must step up and enact legislation that supports market transition and drives the change needed for all food companies to only source and sell cage-free eggs and ends the production of caged eggs in the UK once and for all!”

The full EggTrack Spotlights can be found here.