Eggs

hidden cage eggs in processed food

Hens still suffer in cruel battery cages

22.6.2023

Whether cookies, pasta or mayonnaise, many food products contain eggs. Often, these eggs come from battery farms where layer hens live cooped up in small cages. Although the majority of consumers are opposed to battery farming and almost all retailers have removed fresh cage eggs from their shelves, we are unknowingly still eating eggs produced in cages. So while stopping the sale of fresh cage eggs in supermarkets signaled an important victory for animal welfare, this has been just the first step.

Call for a quicker phase out of caged eggs

While Australia is finally moving away from battery caged farming, 2036 is still a long way off. As part of the Australian Alliance for Animals, we are advocating for states and territories to speed up the phase out for the welfare of millions of layer hens in Australia.

The suffering of millions

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Tiny cages


Over 5 million layer hens in Australia are confined in cages. 4-5 hens crammed into an area of 550 square centimetres – less than an A4 sheet of paper. Any natural behavior is impossible in such a restricted, narrow environment.

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What you can do

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Reduce, refine and replace


The 3Rs Principle is a great tool to make conscious, cruelty-free food choices for everyone. There are many ways to enjoy a variety of delicious animal-friendly food which do not contain eggs.

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Hope for the future

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#EndTheCageAge


While in the EU, we are campaigning to #EndTheCageAge by 2027, Australia has finally committed to moving away from battery caged farming by 2036. Read more about it here.

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FOUR PAWS advocates for the end of all cage systems for laying hens. We call on food manufacturers to change their procurement policies and refrain from using caged eggs in their products. Retailers should also stop the sale of food products containing caged eggs. Instead, we urge the processed food industry to shift to using eggs exclusively from free-range farms and shift from the overall use of eggs in their products whenever possible.

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