The Humane League released its first comprehensive U.S. Food Manufacturing Industry Eggsposé evaluating whether major food manufacturers honored their cage-free commitments. The report revealed significant performance gaps as the industry reaches an inflection point, where nearly half of U.S. egg-laying hens are now housed in cage-free systems. While companies including Hershey, Danone, and Campbell’s have completed or are on track to complete transitions, others including Land O’Lakes and Flowers Foods have quietly abandoned commitments made nearly a decade ago, creating reputational and trust risks.
Consumer preferences increasingly align with cage-free positioning. 85% of U.S. adults find confinement of hens in battery cages unacceptable, while 81% of consumers believe sustainability should encompass animal health and welfare. Research from McKinsey and NielsenIQ demonstrates that products carrying ESG-related claims delivered 28% cumulative growth over five years, compared with 20% for products without such claims, establishing clear business case for fulfilling responsible sourcing commitments.
Companies Fulfilling Commitments
The Hershey Company achieved 100% cage-free sourcing in 2022, meeting its commitment through systematic supply chain transition. Danone completed 100% cage-free transition in 2020, ahead of industry timelines. Hain Celestial reached 100% cage-free sourcing in 2021, demonstrating viability across diverse product categories. The Campbell’s Company completed its cage-free transition in 2025, showing that major food manufacturers with complex supply chains can execute commitments effectively.
“The cage-free transition is no longer aspirational; it has become an industry reality,” said Liz Fergus, Senior Corporate Relations Manager at The Humane League. “Our Hall of Fame companies have shown that fulfilling cage-free commitments is both achievable and practical. Companies in our Hall of Shame have had nearly a decade to phase out controversial cages.”
Companies Abandoning Commitments
Ruiz Foods maintains unclear policy scope while not reporting progress and missing 2025 deadlines. HP Hood removed its cage-free policy entirely while ceasing public transparency on sourcing practices. Land O’Lakes removed its cage-free commitment while failing to disclose reasons or alternative practices, having made original pledge approximately a decade ago. Flowers Foods removed its cage-free policy without public explanation while missing 2025 implementation deadline.
The pattern of quiet policy removals without transparent communication creates reputational risk as consumer expectations for responsible sourcing strengthen. Companies abandoning commitments face distinct disadvantage against competitors demonstrating ongoing progress and completing transitions successfully.
Conagra Brands and PepsiCo demonstrated practical approaches to fulfilling commitments through sourcing diversification, product reformulation, and strategic egg reduction. The demonstration of multiple viable pathways addresses industry arguments that cage-free transition creates operational impossibility, revealing instead that companies differ primarily in commitment level rather than genuine constraint.
Industry Scale and Market Impact
Food manufacturers purchase billions of eggs annually, making the sector among the nation’s largest egg buyers. The concentration of purchasing power within this relatively small group of companies positions manufacturer sourcing decisions as significant market drivers determining whether cage-free supply expansion accelerates or plateaus.
Nearly 50% of U.S. egg-laying flock now operates in cage-free systems, representing substantial infrastructure investment by producers and demonstrating genuine market viability. The achievement of 50% cage-free penetration establishes clear inflection point where cage-free systems represent mainstream production model rather than niche alternative, undermining arguments that cage-free transition remains impractical or economically unviable.
The divergence between fulfilling and abandoning companies creates market differentiation where brand trust correlates with commitment follow-through. Companies that promised cage-free transitions then quietly abandoned commitments risk reputational damage if accountability initiatives surface policy removals, particularly as consumer awareness of greenwashing grows and scrutiny of corporate commitments intensifies.
