McDonald’s pledges to use cage-free eggs

Sales are declining, stores are closing and people have generally wised up to the fact that its food wreaks havoc on the body of anyone who consumes it. But hey—at least the company is wising up about the chickens it sources.

McDonald’s uses roughly two billion eggs annually in the United States, and an additional 120 million in Canada. Pretty soon all of those eggs will come from cage-free hens.

On Wednesday, the fast-food company announced in a press release that it will use 100 percent cage-free eggs in its almost 16,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada by 2025.

“Our customers are increasingly interested in knowing more about their food and where it comes from,” Mike Andres, McDonald’s U.S. president, said in the release. “Our decision to source only cage-free eggs reinforces the focus we place on food quality and our menu to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.

One potential pitfall is cost, as cage-free eggs command a higher price. But McDonald’s officials think that its decision (the company represents four percent of all egg consumption) will help drive down costs.