According to a new report, the majority of the top food companies in Asia are switching to cage-free eggs.

 According to a new report, the majority of the top food companies in Asia are switching to cage-free eggs. According to a recent study, the majority of Asian food companies in the largest egg market in the world are moving away from cage-free eggs.

According to a new report, the majority of the top food companies in Asia are switching to cage-free eggs.

According to a new analysis from Sinergia Animal, battery cages for egg-laying hens are being phased out in five Asian nations: India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The world's largest producer of eggs is Asia. The majority of the more than one billion eggs produced in this region each year come from hens kept in traditional battery cages, a practise that has been outlawed in nine US states, the EU, Canada, and New Zealand due to its widespread perception as being inhumane. Fortunately, our findings demonstrate that Asian businesses are adopting more animal-friendly policies and realising the need to do away with battery cages, according to Phichamon Thamasook, Sinergia Animal's Corporate Communications Manager in Asia.

Eschewing cages

More than 50 well-known food companies were examined by the group, including Aramark, Kraft Heinz, Lotus's, Marriott, Pizza Express, SaladStop!, Unilever, and Wyndham Destinations—all of which have made great progress in phasing out battery cages. Singeria reports that 32 businesses with operations in Asia answered to their request for data, with 16 percent indicating that cage-free egg sourcing in Asia had advanced. Pizza Express, Kraft Heinz, and SaladStop! are a few of these.

The industrial standard for confining egg-laying hens in cages too tiny for them to completely extend their wings is the battery cage. Additionally, it hinders feeding, nesting, and other natural behaviours like perching.

Despite criticism for overcrowding and a lack of access to fresh air, prominent animal welfare experts believe cage-free operations are a step in the right direction.

Over the past ten years, more than 2,300 businesses throughout the world have abandoned battery cages. According to Singeria Animal, Asia, which is home to over 2 billion egg-laying hens, is developing into a significant region for cage-free laws.

In the upcoming years, we anticipate seeing significantly more development toward cage-free egg production in Asia. Companies are looking to raise animal welfare standards as a result of rising consumer concern over the provenance of their food, according to Thamasook.

Chinese cage-free eggs

China established new standards for cage-free eggs last year with the goal of identifying which eggs and egg products can be advertised as cage-free. China is expected to have the highest demand for eggs in Asia, reaching a total of more than 3 billion per year, according to estimates.

Even after a farm has acquired certification, the rules call for independent companies to visit the property for auditing and verification.

Producers or food businesses won't be able to use the cage-free mark moving forward if they fail the routine audit. According to Mutzu Huang, programme manager at Lever China, China's new cage-free standard is actually more rigorous and more comprehensive than that of some other nations, such as the US, told FoodIngredientsFirst last November.

After the standard was published, more than a dozen egg producers are currently through the on-site audit and verification process, and we anticipate that the bulk of them will be authorised shortly, Huang added.

Laying hens are never caged, and other animal welfare and food safety requirements that are a part of the cage-free standard are also met, thanks to a thorough verification process.