Ben & Jerry’s is the first national food manufacturer to move towards a total transition of its products to “Certified-Humane” cage-free eggs. This move is consistent with Ben & Jerry’s mission and values.

“Since we are the first national food manufacturer to make this transition, it has taken us more time than we expected to line up the significant supply of “Certified-Humane” cage-free eggs we require and to work out all of the logistics involved for our needs,” said Walt Freese, Ben & Jerry’s CEO. “I speak for all of us at Ben & Jerry’s to say how pleased we are to announce this transition,” Freese said.

“Earlier this year, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) brought to our attention issues related to the treatment of egg-laying hens,” said Rob Michalak, Ben & Jerry’s Director of Social Mission.

“The closer we got to the issue, the more we realized how complex it was. It required us to move beyond our own expertise. We received substantive input from a variety of experts and resources, all of which helped us to arrive at our decision,” Michalak said.

Due to the significant investment necessary for Ben & Jerry’s to make this transition, it will be phased in over a four year period, at which time all of the company’s products which use eggs will use only “Certified-Humane” cage-free eggs.

The cage-free transition comes at a time when Ben & Jerry’s is already invested in a number of efforts centered around environmental, social and economic justice, including: an ongoing program to address global warming; a PartnerShop program that creates new opportunities for at-risk youth in Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops owned by non-profits; the investment in a dairy supply free of the bovine growth hormone rBGH; expanding its Fair Trade sourcing program to support developing communities globally and conducting a national campaign to change Federal budget priorities to address basic human needs.

ThePoultrySite News Desk