Carrefour is facing scrutiny over egg sourcing practices in Guadeloupe after an investigation revealed the French retailer sources eggs from battery cage systems in the Caribbean territory, despite such systems being banned throughout the European Union. The investigation was conducted by Equitas, an international charitable organization focused on consumer protection and animal welfare in corporate supply chains.
Footage from Guadeloupe-based egg producer La Ferme Du Moulin Saint Jacques — whose eggs are sold at Carrefour stores across the territory operated by Martinique-based Bernard Hayote Group — shows hens confined in battery cage systems. The conditions documented include visible feces and dirt on cage bars near birds and eggs, and hens with deformed limbs and damaged bodies from confinement. Battery cages are prohibited throughout the European Union, where Carrefour operates hundreds of stores.
“Carrefour customers in France would never be sold eggs from hens kept in these filthy, cruel conditions — because French and EU law won’t allow it,” said Dana Taborosi, Campaign Manager at Equitas. “But Carrefour and Bernard Hayote Group apparently believe customers in Guadeloupe — who are French citizens living in French territory — don’t deserve the same level of quality, safety, or ethical standards that European customers receive.”
Battery cage systems restrict hen movement to the extent that natural behaviors including wing spreading become impossible. Research has linked the confinement systems to chronic stress, reproductive disease, and poor bone health in laying hens. The animal welfare concerns, combined with food safety data on Salmonella contamination risks, led to regulatory bans in over 30 countries, including the entire European Union where Carrefour maintains its corporate headquarters.
Food safety and regulatory context
The European Food Safety Authority and international research teams have found that cage egg farms carry up to 33 times greater risk of Salmonella contamination compared to cage-free systems, according to Equitas. This heightened public health risk contributed to the decision to ban battery cages throughout the EU.
Carrefour publicly pledged in 2020 to eliminate caged eggs globally, later extending that deadline to 2025. The company’s continued sourcing from suppliers using cage systems in French territories raises questions about implementation of this commitment as the deadline approaches. Over 80 major food companies — including competing retailers ALDI, Costco, Auchan, Ahold Delhaize, Tesco, and Metro — have established timelines for shifting to cage-free eggs globally.
The investigation arrives as Carrefour faces criticism on multiple fronts globally. Throughout 2025, French NGOs filed lawsuits against the retailer for allegedly failing to address human rights and environmental issues in its tuna supply chain. The company also confronted worker protests in Poland and consumer protection violations in France during the year.
“We urge Carrefour to end this discriminatory double standard and catch up with other leading retailers and set a timeline for ending the sale of caged eggs in Guadeloupe and globally,” said Taborosi.
High-resolution photos and video from the investigation are available at CarrefourEggs.com.
