Pressure growing on Jollibee to move to cage-free eggs

08-08-2023 | Layers | News

Companies continue to make the transition to cage-free. Photo: Alexas Fotos

Moves by Yum! brands, including KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and the Habit Burger Grill, to begin reporting on a commitment to source 100% cage-free eggs is leading to growing pressure on other competitors.

The Open Wing Alliance, a global coalition working to end the abuse of chickens worldwide, said that Yum! Brands – the world’s largest service restaurant company with almost 50,000 locations in more than 150 countries – had started reporting on its commitment to source 100% cage-free eggs (shell, liquid, ingredients) globally by 2030.

A number of the sub-brands will make the transition to cage-free by 2026 following talks between Yum! Brands and the OWA.

Calls for commitment from Jollibee Corporation

Hannah Surowinski, global corporate relations manager at the Open Wing Alliance, said: “Given the company’s extensive global presence, Yum! Brands’ commitment to ensuring a more ethical supply chain will have far-reaching impacts and lead to a more humane food industry. We are calling on the Jollibee Corporation to follow the lead of Yum! Brands and its subsidiaries…and commit to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs worldwide. Failure to do so will put Jollibee in jeopardy of losing consumer trust.”

Animal protection charity, the Humane League UK, staged a protest outside Jollibee’s European flagship store in London at the beginning of August, calling out the company’s use of cages for hens.

Time to reform as company expands

Claire Williams, campaigns manager at the Humane League UK, said: “Jollibee is a huge and growing food company with outlets around the world. It is time for them to reform. Locking hens in cages is one of the cruellest practices in global farming. Jollibee can play a major part in improving animal welfare standards in Asia and globally, and we won’t let up until they do.”

The intervention by the Open Wing Alliance and Humane League UK comes at a time when the Filipino food corporation has announced plans for an expansion to 50 stores in Europe.

Jollibee announced last year that it would roll out a responsible sourcing programme for key ingredients, including poultry. In its 2022 sustainability report, the firm said it would create a baseline and set targets for responsible sourcing, although these targets have yet to be published.