As 2025 unfolds, it has emerged as a landmark year for cage-free egg commitments across the food service industry, with numerous major companies reaching important milestones in their animal welfare targets. Several brands have achieved their goals ahead of schedule, while others are making significant progress toward year-end completion. The widespread adoption of cage-free sourcing represents one of the most significant animal welfare transformations in the food industry over the past decade.
The momentum began building around 2015-2017, when hundreds of companies across the food service sector made public commitments to eliminate battery-caged eggs from their supply chains by 2025. These pledges, often driven by consumer demand and animal welfare advocacy, have now reached their target year, creating a critical moment for assessing industry progress.
Early achievers lead the way
The 2025 target year was particularly significant because it represented a common deadline adopted by numerous companies following the initial wave of commitments made around 2017. Major brands including Nestlé, Burger King, and many others made similar pledges during this period, creating industry-wide momentum toward cage-free sourcing.
Some have achieved their commitments already. Most recently, Melco Resorts & Entertainment recently announced it has achieved its goal of sourcing 100% cage-free eggs across its entire global portfolio by 2025. This move began in 2020, where the company began working with animal protection NGO Lever Foundation. Melco has operations in Macau, the Philippines, and some locations in Europe.
McDonald’s similarly achieved its goal of sourcing 100% cage-free eggs in the United States two years ahead of schedule in 2023. The company is exploring this initiative globally as well, having achieved 100% cage-free egg sourcing in Canada, Australia, France and Germany.
Others are on track to achieve their goals by the end of this year. In its 2023 ESG report, Dine Brands reported that 35.2% of eggs for US restaurants were sourced from cage-free hens, and that it would hit its target of 100% by the end of 2025. McCain Foods made a similar commitment and in 2024 announced that this statistic was at 97%, edging closer to its 2025 goal.
Moving beyond the 2025 cage-free milestone
As the industry navigates through this landmark year, attention is focusing on companies that have successfully met their targets and the lessons learned from their implementations. Yum! Brands, which operates KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, announced a 2030 global deadline. The company notes that a number of markets have already eliminated the use of eggs from caged hens, including those in KFC Western Europe, Pizza Hut UK and Taco Bell US and Canada.
Others have set commitments beyond 2025. Restaurant Brands International, which operates popular brands like Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes, has set a goal to achieve 100% cage-free eggs globally by 2030 or earlier. The company is on track to achieve this target in its Western Europe, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand markets by the end of 2025.
Some brands, however, have failed to meet their 2025 targets. According to The Humane League, major chains such as Subway, Chick-fil-A, and Bojangles, pledged to go cage-free by 2025 but have since remained silent on their progress.
Others have come under fire for failing to keep up with their peers. Rich Products, which operates in more than 100 countries in the world, was hit by an online campaign calling for it to shift towards cage-free eggs in its supply chain. Ahold Delhaize was similarly criticized for divulging that it would not meet previously announced deadlines.
As the industry navigates through this landmark year, attention is focusing on companies that have successfully met their targets and the lessons learned from their implementations. The cage-free transition represents more than individual corporate achievements; it demonstrates the industry’s capacity for large-scale supply chain transformation when there is sustained commitment and proper planning. As more companies reach their targets, the collective impact creates a new baseline for animal welfare standards in the food service industry.
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