Sandwich chain Subway has committed to sourcing all of its eggs served in its Asian restaurants from cage-free operations.
The change was announced in a press release issued on April 2 from Asian animal protection organization, Lever Foundation. According to the release Subway is the first major restaurant chain to expand its cage-free egg commitment to Asia, although hotel chains Hyatt and Mariott International have pledged to source only cage-free eggs for its Asian locations.
In a letter to media outlets, Subway China confirmed that it is moving to the exclusive sourcing of cage-free eggs, but it did not offer a timeline.
“In Asia, one of our key markets, we have plans to go cage-free and are working closely with our local procurement and suppliers, as well as related government organizations,” the letter read.
“While we don’t have a detailed timeline, the good news is there are suppliers committed to converting to cage-free production, and we hope that we are able to be a part of it as the market demand is growing faster than the suppliers can convert at the moment.”
Other pledges from Subway
Subway had earlier committed to switch its egg supply to cage free in North America, Australia and Europe. The company in 2015 announced its intent to transition to an exclusive cage-free egg supply in the United States in Canada by 2025. At the time that announcement was made, the company stated that Subway customers in Europe were only served free-range eggs, while in Australia, cage-free eggs were already being served.
Subway has also in recent years made commitments to eliminate the use of antibiotics in its chicken, turkey, pork and beef supplies, with all transitions being completed in the United States by 2025. It has also committed to sourcing only chicken that meets the standards of the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) by 2024.
