McDonald’s USA is a member of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES) which has contracted research to better study the impacts of hen housing on animal welfare, food safety, worker/employee welfare and the environment. We feel the Coalition’s work will result in meaningful science-based data that will help guide future production and purchasing decisions. The team is also determining management practices that are scientifically sound and aligned with accepted principles. While no single housing system can satisfy all criteria, we are working to develop guidelines for hen housing systems that best reflect these guiding principles. The team is assessing the Company’s current laying hen health and welfare guidelines and audits for the various housing systems available throughout the world. Data from McDonald’s Agricultural Assurance Program, the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply initiative, and the European Animal Welfare Platform and Welfare Quality Project is being analyzed to:
• DEVELOP GENERAL GUIDELINES applicable to any housing system and specific to conventional, cage-free, enriched and free-range housing systems.
• ALIGN THE COMPANY’S REQUIREMENTS AND AUDIT CRITERIA to the most applicable scientific evidence and OIE’s General Principles for Animal Welfare.