General Mills sets timeline for cage-free egg use

Eggs laid by cage-free chickens
Eggs laid by cage-free chickens sit in a holder after being sorted by Francis Blake on his organic farm, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, near Waukon, Iowa.
Charlie Neibergall | AP

General Mills has set a timeline for its U.S. operations to stop using eggs from caged chickens.

Earlier this year, the Golden Valley-based food company said it would go cage-free but didn't set a deadline. Now, the food maker says it hopes to use only cage-free eggs in its U.S. products by 2025.

"The General Mills announcement is huge," said Josh Balk, senior food policy director for The Humane Society of the United States. "They are taking a stand against the cruel treatment of egg-laying hens and clearing a path for a cage-free future."

The group said General Mills joins McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Kellogg and other companies in promising to stop using eggs from caged chickens.

General Mills, however, won't say how many eggs it uses in products sold to consumers, schools, restaurants and institutions.

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