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RSSNorthland cafeteria switches to cage free eggs
February 28, 2008
Chartwells, a division of Compass Group North America and the food service provider at Northland College, has implemented a new policy that will significantly improve the welfare of hundreds of thousands of farm animals each year by purchasing cage-free eggs.
The company has been phasing in the policy over a ninety day period and it will affect about 48 million eggs annually. In addition, the policy requires that all producers supplying the company with cage-free eggs adhere to the standards of the third-party auditing organization Humane Farm Animal Care.
“Compass Group is committed to ending our use of eggs from caged hens. This is a huge undertaking for our company, but we're proud to be making such a significant contribution to the welfare of farm animals,” states Cheryl Queen, Compass Group vice president of corporate communications.
Compass Group has a long history of social responsibility initiatives, including agricultural sustainability, supporting local farms, and reducing the use of antibiotics in animal production.
While cage-free does not necessarily mean cruelty-free, cage-free hens generally have 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens. Cage-free hens may not be able to go outside, but they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.
Compass Group, North America is the leading food management company with more than $8.8 billion in revenues. Its parent company, UK-based Compass Group PLC, was ranked the 13th largest employer by Fortune magazine in 2007. It has worldwide revenues of $20.2 billion.
