MCDONALD’S South Africa has come under fire again this week for dragging its feet in committing to using cage-free eggs in the preparation of its meals.
The fast-food chain announced this week it intended sourcing cage-free eggs by 2025 in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Similar commitments were made by McDonald’s in the US, Canada, the EU, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
McDonald’s South Africa said it was still assessing the feasibility of taking these steps.
Greg Solomon, chief executive officer for the company, said: “We will be in a position to make our announcement by the end of 2016.”
Four animal protection groups, Beauty without Cruelty SA, United Front 4 Animals ,the South African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute and Animal Voice, the official South African representative of Compassion in World Farming, are promoting the move and supporting a petition encouraging McDonald’s South Africa to adopt a cage-free egg policy. To date, more than 17 600 people have signed the petition.
Student activist Yolanda Guse, who has helped spearhead the campaign, said it wasn’t acceptable for McDonald’s South Africa to be so indecisive.
“They keep saying they will research, but they don’t commit. There is nothing to research, we know going cage-free is better for the chickens and it’s better for business.”
Guse said many customers who realised the cruelty of sourcing eggs from battery hens were put off and would stop buying McDonald’s foods.
Guse said she had been a “huge fan” of the burger giant.
While she is a meat eater, she said the cruelty involved in raising hens in cages had prompted her boycott of McDonald’s.