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Sprouts goes cage-free or better with all eggs

Expanded sourcing policy bolsters commitment to animal welfare

Russell Redman

January 21, 2022

3 Min Read
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Sprouts Farmers Market said its new egg sourcing requirements apply to all shell and liquid eggs sold at its stores.Sprouts Farmers Market

Sprouts Farmers Market has committed to sourcing all of its eggs from cage-free, organic or free-range farms.

Phoenix-based Sprouts announced the new egg sourcing policy yesterday, and the company’s website said it went into effect as of December. The measure applies to all shell and liquid eggs sold at the natural and organic retailer’s stores. Sprouts’ own-brand eggs have been cage-free or better since 2016.

“Sprouts shoppers are conscious of where their food comes from, and we’re pleased to now offer cage-free or better eggs across the category as part of our ongoing commitment to improved animal welfare,” Kim Coffin, senior vice president of grocery at Sprouts, said in a statement.

Across Sprouts’ dairy department, organics accounted for more than 40% of the category’s sales volume in 2021, the specialty grocer said. Eighty-one plant-based products and 82 organic items were added during the year, along with 51 products that were both organic and plant-based.

“We’re continuously engaging with suppliers, NGOs and stakeholders to ensure our policies and targets for continuous improvement are meaningful and help drive the industry forward,” Coffin added.

Sprouts_brand_pasture_raised_eggs.jpg

Pasture-raised, free-range and cage-free are among the animal welfare designations for eggs sold at Sprouts.

On egg cartons sold at Sprouts, animal welfare classifications for laying hens include cage-fee, free-range and pasture-raised, among others. Cage-free indicates that the flock was able to freely roam in a building, room or enclosed area with unlimited access to food and fresh water during their production cycle. Regulated by the USDA, free-range designates that the hens were sheltered in a building, room or area with unlimited access to food, fresh water and continuous access to the outdoors (including areas fenced in and/or covered with netting-like material).

Related:Hy-Vee adopts Seafood Supplier Code of Conduct

For pasture-raised, the HFAC Certified Humane requirement is 1,000 birds per 2.5 acres, and the fields must be rotated, Sprouts said. Hens also must be outdoors year-round and have mobile or fixed housing where they can go inside at night for protection from predators. They can also be housed indoors for up to two weeks due to inclement weather.

Sprouts has set several targets for sourcing chickens — for the meat case, rotisserie and prepared foods — through collaboration with its supplier partners. By 2024, the retailer aims to improve the environment for chickens, including litter, lighting and enrichments in line with the Better Chicken Commitment standards, designed to encourage the natural behavior of chickens. Sprouts said that by 2025 it also plans to reduce stocking density to 6 pounds per square foot and prohibit broiler cages, in order to allow chickens more room to move. The company noted that 17% of its supply already meets that measure.

Related:Walmart Canada expands commitment to sustainable beef

Also, by 2026, Sprouts said it aims to source chickens processed in a manner that avoids pre-stun handling and instead uses a multi-step, controlled-atmosphere processing system that induces an irreversible stun (CAS). The company noted that this more humane technology provides a less stressful experience and contributes to improved animal welfare, better processing conditions and higher-quality meat.  As of 2021, more than 17% of the chicken sold at Sprouts was processed through CAS facilities, and the grocer plans to boost that percentage to more than 60% by 2024 and 100% by 2026.

Overall, Sprouts Farmers Market operates more than 370 stores in 23 states across the country.

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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