Cage-Free Egg Movement Steams Ahead

The Walt Disney Co.’s theme parks and cruise line, and the Florida-based supermarket chain Winn-Dixie, announced they are implementing a cage-free eggs sourcing policy much earlier than other hospitality chains, restaurants and food retailers. Disney said its plan will be completed by the end of 2016, while Winn-Dixie’s private-label eggs will be cage-free by 2017, the rest by 2025. Most companies that have announced cage-free egg policies are giving themselves as much as ten years to put them in place. In recent weeks, the following companies have announced a transition to cage-free eggs over various timetables: 7-11; Dollar General; Dairy Queen; N.Y.-based Tops grocery chain; Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain; C&S Wholesale Grocers (Keene, N.H.); and grocery retailer SpartanNash (Grand Rapids, Mich.).