Dive Brief:
- Kraft Heinz and The Schwan Food Company have each announced they will source 100% cage-free eggs — Kraft Heinz in its North America operations by 2025 and Schwan throughout its supply chain by 2020's end.
- Kraft and Heinz had been individually making gradual progress on using cage-free eggs prior to their merger.
- Schwan's plans are subject to whether the company can find available, reliable sources for certified cage-free eggs.
Dive Insight:
Kraft Heinz and Schwan's announcements are the latest in a series of cage-free egg commitments made by food companies in the past year, including General Mills, Kellogg, and Nestle.
As consumers demand more transparency, particularly about the treatment of animals, cage-free eggs are becoming more standard practice.
Costs continue to be a concern for manufacturers when they consider whether to make the switch to cage-free eggs. But when Nestle made its announcement, the company said it didn't anticipate having to increase prices by much because the costs would hopefully be minimal. Egg prices have soared for manufacturers, particularly liquid or breaker eggs used for baking, as last year's bird flu has still tightened the egg supply.