Wal-Mart, the largest grocer in the United States with control of a quarter of the market, said it would require that egg suppliers adopt an industry standard for treatment of hens by 2025 and have their compliance monitored by a third party. The new guidelines will apply to the discount retailer's more than 5,000 stores in the United States, including its Sam's Club warehouse chain. Wal-Mart had flagged that it planned to switch to cage-free eggs in May when it announced that it would push its suppliers to adhere to the "five principles" of animal welfare, a set of guidelines that includes ensuring animals are not starved, have sufficient space to move, and do not suffer mental distress. Tuesday's announcement makes Wal-Mart the latest retailer to put a firm timetable on the change, joining the likes of McDonald's Corp
The Humane Society has announced that it will require all its egg suppliers to adopt an industry standard, monitored by a third party, governing the treatment of hens by 2025. The company had previously announced that it would be using only cage-free eggs from May. The Humane Society is the largest grocery company in the US and controls over a quarter of the market. McDonald’s and Burger King have already committed to adopting cage-free eggs by 2025 and 2017 respectively. Wal-Mart stated that "This announcement will likely benefit more animals than any other corporate announcement in the history of the animal protection movement."