Andronico's Moves to Cage-Free Eggs
ALBANY, Calif. -- Community-based independent Andronico's yesterday eliminated the sale of eggs from hens confined in battery cages, and the retailer now exclusively sells cage-free eggs.
"This new policy furthers our commitment to social responsibility, including animal welfare," said Bill Andronico, president and c.e.o. of Andronico's, which sells approximately 4.8 million eggs each year.
Andronico's joins a growing number of companies across the country that are moving away from eggs from caged hens. In California alone, grocery chains such as Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, Mother's Market & Kitchen, and Lassen's Natural Foods & Vitamins have stopped selling cage eggs. Trader Joe's has converted its private label line of eggs to cage-free.
According to the Humane Society, U.S. factory farms confine nearly 300 million hens in wire battery cages that are so small, the birds can't spread their wings, walk, or perform many other important behaviors, such as nesting, foraging, perching, and dust bathing. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live, leading to extremely high levels of stress and frustration.
Andronico's has nine stores throughout the Bay Area, including locations in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, San Anselmo, and Los Altos.
"This new policy furthers our commitment to social responsibility, including animal welfare," said Bill Andronico, president and c.e.o. of Andronico's, which sells approximately 4.8 million eggs each year.
Andronico's joins a growing number of companies across the country that are moving away from eggs from caged hens. In California alone, grocery chains such as Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, Mother's Market & Kitchen, and Lassen's Natural Foods & Vitamins have stopped selling cage eggs. Trader Joe's has converted its private label line of eggs to cage-free.
According to the Humane Society, U.S. factory farms confine nearly 300 million hens in wire battery cages that are so small, the birds can't spread their wings, walk, or perform many other important behaviors, such as nesting, foraging, perching, and dust bathing. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live, leading to extremely high levels of stress and frustration.
Andronico's has nine stores throughout the Bay Area, including locations in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, San Anselmo, and Los Altos.