McDonald's to Source Cage-Free Eggs in U.S., Canada

McDonald's Corp. said Wednesday it would transition to cage-free eggs for its restaurants in the U.S. and Canada over the next decade, the latest move by the burger giant to revamp its image. "Our customers are increasingly interested in knowing more about their food and where it comes from," said Mike Andres, president of McDonald's USA. Marion Gross, chief supply chain officer of McDonald's North America, added that the move advances "environmentally and socially conscious practices for the animals in our supply chain." The Chicago company said that annually, its USA division buys about two billion eggs and its Canadian business purchases roughly 120 million eggs. About 10% of its USA egg supply has been cage-free since 2011. The company's egg purchases may soon increase, following a decision this month to offer breakfast items all day at its more than 14,300 U.S. restaurants. The company is offering a limited number of core items, including sausage burritos, hot cakes and, depending on the region, Egg McMuffins. The move also follows decisions by McDonald's earlier this year to source only antibiotic-free chicken by 2017 and to serve hormone-free milk. Like McDonald's, companies across the food industry have made strides to adjust to shifting consumer preferences. Food companies including General Mills and Nestlé have moved to strip artificial flavors and colors from products including cereal and candy bars, while restaurants such as Chipotle Mexican Grill have stopped using genetically modified ingredients in its food.