Supervalu joins cage-free egg movement

Supervalu said Tuesday it plans to sell only cage-free eggs by 2025, the latest food company to make such a pledge.

Eden Prairie-based Supervalu, which owns Cub Foods, said the transition to cage-free eggs could come sooner based on available egg supply and customer demand.

Supermarket operators, packaged food companies and restaurant chains over the past few years have been committing to phasing in cage-free eggs.

Twin Cities-based General Mills and Target are among those companies.

In turn, demand from such large customers has led the egg industry to move toward raising hens in cage-free housing systems.

Currently, the egg industry is dominated by the battery-cage system, in which several hens are housed in small cages, giving them little room to move.

In cage-free housing, hens are still kept indoors, but they have some room to walk about and flap their wings. Animal rights groups have long decried the cage system.

"Our decision to move toward selling cage-free eggs reflects our ongoing commitment to improving animal welfare practices across the industry," Mark Van Buskirk, Supervalu's executive vice president for merchandising and marketing, said in a press statement.

Supervalu operates 200 traditional grocery stores and also owns the national discount chain, Save-A-Lot, which has 1,336 stores. It's also one of the nation's largest grocery wholesalers.

Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003