Nestlé to Use 100% Cage-Free Eggs for All U.S. Food Products by 2020

Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, today announced that it will transition to using only cage-free eggs in all of its U.S. food products within the next five years. The move represents yet another example of Nestlé’s commitment to the health, care and welfare of animals raised for food.

Nestlé uses approximately 20 million pounds of eggs annually to help create some of America’s most beloved food brands, including Häagen-Dazs®, Dreyer’s and Edy’s® ice creams, Nestlé® Toll House® cookie dough and Buitoni® pasta. Eggs are also an important part of Lean Cuisine® and Stouffer’s® popular breakfast items.

“Our products are in the fridges and pantries of socially-conscious consumers across the United States, and we share their belief in the importance of responsibly-sourced ingredients,” said Paul Grimwood, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA. “The move to using exclusively cage-free eggs is one more way that we’re responding to consumers and establishing a precedent for farm animal welfare.”

The pledge to use exclusively cage-free eggs in the U.S. by 2020 builds on Nestlé’s significant commitment on farm animal welfare, launched in 2012 and strengthened in 2014. As part of this commitment, the company outlined its plan to eliminate specific farming practices, like tail docking for cattle and pigs, gestation crates for pigs and veal crates. Nestlé works with World Animal Protection, a global animal welfare organization, and SGS to assess its suppliers against these commitments.

“We are proud to partner with Nestlé who are listening to their customers’ concerns and putting animal welfare at the forefront of their purchasing power,” said Martin Cooke of World Animal Protection. “They are taking a responsible approach to their sourcing of eggs, which will ultimately improve the lives of millions of hens. Major food companies like Nestlé have the power to bring about positive change at every level of the supply chain.”

Nestlé is developing pilot projects with its suppliers and World Animal Protection to establish a roadmap for sourcing cage free eggs in Europe and the rest of the world.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nestle.com/csv/rural-development-responsible-sourcing/responsible-sourcing/animal-welfare.

About Nestlé in the United States

Nestlé in the United States is committed to being a trusted leader in nutrition, health and wellness. Our diverse portfolio of food and beverage products provide nutritious options for every member of the family, including infants, toddlers, teens and adults, mature adults, and dogs and cats. Nestlé in the U.S. consists of eight main businesses: Nestlé USA, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, Nestlé Waters North America, Nestlé Nutrition, Nestlé Professional, Nespresso, Nestlé Skin Health and Nestlé Health Science. Together, these companies operate in more than 120 locations in 47 states and employ over 51,000 people. The United States is Nestlé S.A.’s largest market with combined product sales in the United States totaling more than $26 billion in 2014.

At Nestlé, we believe that for our business to prosper in the long term, we must create value for our employees, customers, stakeholders, consumers and the communities where we live and work. Nestlé embeds Creating Shared Value (CSV) into every part of its business, from nutrition and wellness to environmental sustainability and responsible sourcing. For more information, visit: www.nestleusa.com/CSV.

About World Animal Protection

World Animal Protection is a global animal welfare organization active in more than 50 countries. From their offices around the world, they work with businesses, governments, local partners and animal welfare organizations and have formal relationships with inter-governmental agencies. They seek national and international policy change to improve the lives of millions of animals, because animal protection is a fundamental part of a sustainable future. www.worldanimalprotection.us.org.

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