Hellmann's Chooses Cage-Free Eggs
As part of their campaign for “Real Food”, all Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise produced in Canada and the United States is now not only ½ the Fat but 100% free run! Hellmann’s made the switch to free run eggs in response to consumer demand. As a result of this decision a whole lot of hens are living much better lives outside of battery cages. As WSPA embarks on our own cage-free campaign, we were intrigued to know more about the company’s decision to choose free run and to find out how their customers were responding to it - so we asked them.
“Canadians continue to tell us that they place a high level of importance on eating food prepared with real, authentic ingredients,” said Stephanie Cox, Brand Building Manager for Hellmann’s in Canada “They are more likely to opt for products made with free run eggs when given the choice.”
Hellmann’s recognizes this trend is gaining momentum in Canada as consumers are increasingly attuned to what’s in their food and where it comes from. According to Hellmann’s own research, 92 per cent of Canadians prefer to purchase products that contain more real ingredients and 90 per cent prefer to eat locally grown foods.
Hellmann’s sources free run eggs from Burnbrae Farms in Ontario and Quebec. All Burnbrae’s free run eggs are American Humane Certified which means they follow very specific and extensive criteria for the treatment of hens set by the US-based American Humane Association. In order to obtain the label, hens must have access to nesting boxes and perches both of which allow for the expression of natural behaviours denied to battery cage hens. There are also specific requirements concerning food, water, lighting, space allowance and ventilation. All American Humane certified farms are carefully monitored and audited.
Asked if they’d consider switching to free run eggs in their other products, Cox responded, “Hellmann’s goal is to change all of our recipes as a greater and consistent Canadian supply of free run eggs becomes available. Currently, the available certified free run egg supply in Canada cannot meet the production requirements of all Hellmann’s products sold in Canada.”
Also important to Hellmann’s was ensuring a Canadian supply of eggs for their Canadian products: “Buying local is good for the people who eat it and the people who produce it,” says Cox.
For more information about Hellmann’s free run egg commitment, visit: http://www.realfoodmovement.ca/latesttalk/get-informed/the-movement/
For more information about American Humane certified, click here: http://thehumanetouch.org/
