Publix Going with Cage-Free Hens

Lakeland, FL — Publix Super Markets has announced its intention to only sell eggs from cage-free hens by 2026.

The Lakeland-based grocery giant announced its decision to go cage-free on its corporate website. The new position statement comes on the heels of a campaign launched by the Humane Society of the United States targeting the company as the only one of the country’s 25 largest grocery chains to not have a timeline for going cage-free.

“We are committed to moving forward with this challenging and complex effort and will work toward being 100 percent cage free by 2026,” Publix said in its position statement.

The grocer also noted the need to balance affordable pricing and safety with concerns about animal welfare.

See also:

• Humane Society Blasts Publix Over Caged Hen, Publix Fires Back
• Vampire Dairies' Paul Wesley 'Dismayed' with Publix Over Caged Hens

At present, the company currently offers seven different cage-free egg brands in its stores.

“We appreciate that Publix will stop selling eggs from caged chickens,” Josh Balk, the humane society’s senior food policy director, said in a statement following Publix’s announcement. “The future is now more certain than ever that the egg industry’s cage confinement of chickens must come to an end.”

The humane society has called out the practice of caging hens as cruel, saying that cages are often so small birds cannot spread their wings.

Publix’s 10-year timetable for going 100 percent cage-free was explained in the grocery chain’s statement. The company says it has been working with egg suppliers, government agencies, industry leaders and others to gain an understanding of the time required to convert its shell egg supply to completely cage-free while still meeting customer demand, the need to remain affordable.

“In addition to animal welfare concerns, there are several other factors to consider: the higher costs and retail price associated with cage-free eggs, the speed of this industry change, current WIC regulations preventing the purchase of cage-free eggs in the areas where we operate, and the ability of smaller farms to remain in business while making necessary investments,” the statement said.

Earlier this month, Paul Wesley of “The Vampire Diaries” lent his name to the humane society's campaign by penning an open letter to Publix CEO Todd Jones. Wesley expressed his “dismay” at Publix’s lack of action on the cage-free issue at that time.

To read Publix's full position statement on cage-free hens, visit the company's corporate website.