Fast-food chain Taco Bell said its “more than 6,000 U.S. corporate and franchise-owned restaurants will exclusively serve cage-free eggs by December 31, 2016.” If it meets the target, it would be “the first national quick service restaurant to completely implement the change.” The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), noting most chains plan a five-to-10-year phase-in, said the change-over would be “the fastest timeline of any major company.”
Earlier this year, McDonald’s set a 10-year deadline for its 16,000 outlets in the United States and Canada to use only eggs from hens given space to walk, nest and perch with other hens rather than being confined in a small, solitary space. Burger King was the first national chain to announce, in 2012, that it would switch to cage-free eggs, the HSUS told Nation’s Restaurant News. Burger King plans to complete the switch by 2017. Dunkin’ Donuts’ goal is to have 10-percent of its eggs come from cage-free hens by the end of this year. Panera Bread and Starbucks have a goal of 2020, said the trade publication.
The Humane Society’s Josh Balk told Nation’s Restaurant News that a growing number of large egg producers are switching to cage-free farms, making it easier for restaurants to buy cage-free eggs. In a statement, Balk said Taco Bell’s decision would affect about 500,000 hens “and further cement the future of egg production as being one without cages.”