THE OPEN WING ALLIANCE NAMES GLOBAL RESTAURANT GIANTS FOR MISSING CAGE-FREE DEADLINES

Egg-laying hens

An egg-laying hen

Open Wing Alliance Logo

Despite long lead times, multiple global companies continue to source eggs from caged hens, without public comment on their missed 2025 deadlines.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, January 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a global coalition of 84 animal protection organizations in 72 countries, today names the "2026 Rotten Eggs"—the major global restaurant companies missing deadlines made, years and decades ago, to eliminate cages from their egg supply chains by 2025.

The report comes at a pivotal moment. With 92% of corporate cage-free egg commitments that had public deadlines of 2024 or earlier now fulfilled, 2025 marks the largest deadline year on record, with more than 1,000 corporate commitments — including pledges from over 100 global companies — due to be completed. While many companies follow through and disclose progress, others didn't, despite years of outreach, guidance, and repeated reminders from Open Wing Alliance member organizations worldwide.

“Many companies have had nearly a decade to prepare for these deadlines,” said Caitlin Campbell, Sr. Global Corporate Campaigns Lead, The Open Wing Alliance. “When global brands fail to report progress or quietly miss their commitments, it means that millions of hens are still confined in cramped wire cages, and consumers are being misled.”

The 2025 Rotten Eggs

OWA’s report identifies the following global restaurant companies with 2025 cage-free deadlines that have not published fulfillment and are at risk of failing their commitments:

Le Pain Quotidien — HQ: New York City, USA
Illy — HQ: Trieste, Italy
McDonald’s Korea — HQ: Seoul, South Korea
Krispy Kreme — HQ: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
CKE Restaurants — HQ: Franklin, Tennessee, USA
Au Bon Pain — HQ: Richardson, Texas, USA
Shake Shack — HQ: New York City, USA
Inspire Brands — HQ: Sandy Springs, Georgia, USA
Alsea — HQ: Mexico City, Mexico

These global restaurant companies use millions of eggs each year, and are still sourcing eggs from caged hens despite their public pledges to have 100% cage-free supply chains.

Dishonourable Mentions

The report also flags companies with later deadlines that are haven’t reported progress and are at risk of falling short:

GoTo Foods
Panda Express
Darden Restaurants
JDE Peets
Papa John’s

Companies Showing Leadership

Showing that cage-free is achievable, the report highlights honourable mentions, global restaurant companies that have transformed their supply chains or are transparently reporting strong progress:

The Cheesecake Factory (fulfilled)
Groupe Holder (fulfilled)
Famous Brands Group (fulfilled)
Pizza Express (reporting good progress)
Wagamama (reporting good progress)
YUM! Brands (reporting good progress)
Restaurant Brands International (reporting good progress)
Jollibee (reporting good progress)
International Dairy Queen (reporting good progress)

For more information on the global cage-free movement and how you can take action, visit OpenWingAlliance.org. To view the Rotten Egg Report, click here.

About the Open Wing Alliance
Founded in 2016 by The Humane League, the Open Wing Alliance is a coalition of 84 animal protection organizations in 72 countries on six continents, trailblazing farm animal welfare in nearly every market globally. With over 3,000 corporate commitments, The OWA is united around their goal to end the abuse of chickens and enforce higher animal welfare policies worldwide.

Karen Hirsch
Open Wing Alliance
+1 678-469-8675
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.