Dunkin Donuts to use cage-free eggs?

Not that the company’s consideration to use cage-free eggs in their doughnuts is going to have you rushing for their doors for breakfast, animal rights advocates can feel good about getting Dunkin Donuts’ attention with an online campaign through Change.org.

Not that the company’s consideration to use cage-free eggs in their doughnuts is going to have you rushing for their doors for breakfast, animal rights advocates can feel good about getting Dunkin Donuts’ attention with an online campaign through Change.org.

Dunkin Donuts considering cage free eggs

After more than 3,000 people join campaign on Change.org, Dunkin Donut says it will “consider” using cage-free eggs. The announcement, made in the company’s first-ever Corporate Social Responsibility report, came after Annie Hartnett started an online petition asking Dunkin Donuts to phase in cage-free eggs.

“In 2009, Compassion Over Killing revealed horrific conditions at a Dunkin Donuts egg supplier,” said Annie Hartnett, creator of the campaign on Change.org. “I’d be thrilled to see Dunkin’ Donuts finally go cage-free, both for public health reasons and for the sake of animal welfare.”

Caged hens more likely to contain salmonella

Animal welfare and food safety advocates claim that cage-free eggs are healthier and more humane than eggs produced by hens kept in battery cages. Hens kept in battery cages reside in a space no bigger than a letter-sized sheet of paper, without enough room for birds to turn around. Activists say the tight quarters are not only inhumane, they’re unsanitary: eggs produced by hens stacked on top of each other in battery cages and in close proximity to waste are more likely to contain salmonella and other bacterial contamination than cage-free eggs.

Animal welfare and food safety efforts

“Annie Hartnett’s efforts to push major players in the food industry like Dunkin Donuts to adopt better animal welfare and food safety standards has really resonated with consumers across the country,” said Change.org Senior Organizer Sarah Parsons. “After more than 50 days of campaigning, the fact that Dunkin Donuts announced publicly that it is considering using cage-free eggs is tremendous progress for these activists.”

To view live petition signatures of Dunkin Donuts campaign, visit Change.org.

More vegan news you can use!