General Mills has officially put a deadline on its move to 100% cage-free eggs in all its U.S. products. By 2025, the packaged food company will complete the transformation.
The Minneapolis-based company, which makes Pillsbury rolls and Cheerios cereal, said it would work toward only cage-free eggs in July but hadn’t set out a solid timeline for the move until now. General Mill already sources free-range eggs for its Haagen-Dazs ice creams in Europe.
“We really see this as a long-term goal that will require unparalleled collaboration,” Steve Peterson, director of sustainable sourcing at General Mills, said in a blog post.
The move comes amid a larger transition in the packaged food industry for more natural and sustainable ingredients. Cereal rival Kellogg’s (K) is also on target to use all cage-free eggs by 2025. Meanwhile, Hershey’s (HSY), Noodles & Company, and Nestle have announced that they will remove artificial flavors from many of their products. General Mills is nixing all artificial colors and flavors from its Trix and Reese’s Puffs cereals, as well.
General Mills (GIS) reaffirmed its commitment to animal welfare in July when it released a refresh of its global policy statement on the issue. Along with the move to cage-free eggs, the company committed to fair treatment of animals all along its supply chain and restricted use of antibiotics.