Publix, the country’s fifth-largest supermarket chain, became the last of the top 25 grocery companies to pledge to sell only cage-free eggs within the decade, reports the Orlando Sentinel.
“Because we take concerns about animal welfare seriously, we have been diligently working with our egg suppliers … to better understand the timing of converting our shell egg supply to completely cage-free,” Publix wrote in a statement. “In addition to animal welfare concerns, there are several other factors to consider: the higher costs and retail price associated with cage-free eggs, the speed of this industry change, current WIC regulations preventing the purchase of cage-free eggs in the areas where we operate, and the ability of smaller farms to remain in business while making necessary investments.”
Publix made its announcement Friday, vowing to be entirely cage-free by 2026, despite a recent report that producers were growing wary of investing in cage-free housing because the premium eggs—which can cost twice as much as conventional eggs—weren’t selling at stores. Earlier this year, Kroger and Walmart joined the cage-free bandwagon, pledging to be cage-free by 2025.