Growers and Grocers

The Associated Press recently reported that Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream was pressured to replace their egg supplier by the Humane Society. The basis for the pressure was the Humane Society of America’s objections to the treatment of the chickens used to produce the eggs. Ben and Jerry’s ultimately relented and switched suppliers and the change has already taken effect.

The supplier causing the objections was Michael Foods Inc. of Minnetonka, Minnesota. After an investigation in June, the Humane Society “found hens dying of starvation, live hens living among dead ones, and sick or injured birds caught in cage wires.” Shortly thereafter, the Humane Society launched a public awareness campaign that they called: “A Scoop of Lies: Ben and Jerry’s and Factory Farm Cruelty.” The campaign demanded that the ice cream company stop using eggs from Michael Foods and stop using eggs from any other suppliers using small cages to raise chickens.

The chief executive of Ben and Jerry’s said that changing suppliers “seemed like the right thing to do.” However, in regards to the call to end relationships with all suppliers who use small cages, the chief executive stated: “We’re really evaluating our options.” According to the Humane Society, anything “less than a switch to cage-free eggs” will not be enough.

The egg supplier allegedly causing all the fuss has also decided to make some changes following the campaign:

Michael Foods said it had not heard from Ben & Jerry’s, so it had no immediate comment. The company said this week that it planned to switch to larger cages to meet or exceed United Egg Producer guidelines for hen welfare.

According to its website, Ben and Jerry’s mission includes “a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the Earth and the Environment.” The company was originally founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, but was bought by Dutch conglomerate Unilever in 2000.

The CEO noted that Ben and Jerry’s will insist that egg suppliers produce eggs “in compliance with the United Egg Producers’ guidelines.” “That’s important to us because we’re committed to the humane treatment of all animals that are involved in the production of ingredients for Ben and Jerry’s,” he said. The Humane Society counters that those Guidelines are still not enough because “they still permit hens to be confined in small cages that provide little room for the birds to move.”