Labels on egg cartons are notoriously confusing. It’s common to see labels like “conventional eggs,” “enriched colonies,” “free run,” “free-range,” and “organic” on egg cartons—but do they mean hens have better lives, or are they mere marketing tactics?
For years, the egg industry and major grocery chains like Sobeys have been hiding the truth about the suffering behind their eggs. Burnbrae Farms, Canada’s largest egg producer, uses friendly terms like “cozy coop” and “nestlaid” on egg cartons where hens live miserable lives in cages.
Sobeys doesn’t include clear labels on its shelves indicating if eggs come from caged hens—leaving many shoppers misled by confusing and misleading packaging.
A decade ago, Sobeys promised to go cage-free. Yet today, 80 percent of eggs in its stores still come from hens in cages, where they endure widespread illness, injury, and death. Each hen has barely a sheet of paper’s worth of space. They live on filthy wire floors and suffer from constant pain. It’s time for Sobeys to stop profiting from this cruelty—like it promised!
Introducing the EggSCANada App
Animal Justice’s revolutionary new EggSCANada app allows Canadians to scan egg cartons instantly. They can finally see behind the label and know whether the eggs come from caged hens, pulling the curtain back on Sobeys cage cruelty.
The app also empowers users to take immediate action. They can send an email directly to the company from the app’s interface.
Recent surveys show that 76 percent of Canadians prefer cage-free housing systems over cage confinement for hens. Most consumers also report spending more money on certain egg varieties because they incorrectly believe the hens experience better welfare.
Now, transparency and accountability are just a scan away with the EggSCANada app.
App Launch Weekend Success
The EggSCANada launch weekend saw incredible energy from coast to coast. Animal Justice supporters held successful events in Edmonton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, St. John’s, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. Advertisers spread the word at stores in Calgary and Toronto, along with a mobile billboard that drove around Sobeys HQ towns outside of Halifax. A record 15 locations heard about caged hens in Sobeys’ stores in just one weekend!
These advocates engaged with shoppers directly outside stores to show how the app works, and many people were schocked to learn about shocking cruelty to caged hens in Sobeys’ supply chain. Under Sobeys’ animal welfare oversight, the vast majority of eggs sold across Empire-owned banners, Sobeys, Farm Boy, IGA, Safeway, Longo’s, Thrifty Foods, FreshCo, and Foodland, still come from cruel cage systems. The cities competed for the Hen Hero prize for the city with the most EggSCANada users by the end of the weekend. We are thrilled to announce that Montreal officially won!
Hold Sobeys Accountable
Sobeys has broken its decade-old promise to end the use of cages. The longer the company waits, the longer hens will continue to suffer.
Animal Justice will continue to educate Canadians about cruelty to caged hens in Sobeys’ supply chain. EggSCANada is our latest tool to do just that. Together, we can hold the company accountable and protect animals from further suffering.
