Open letter from MEPs calls inaction discriminatory and a health risk; "the duty for food companies to behave responsibly toward animals and toward consumers does not end at the borders of the continent"
BRUSSELS, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a strongly-worded letter released today, Members of European Parliament are calling on food companies to end the caged confinement of animals in their global supply chains. The letter, which was circulated by international NGO Lever Foundation and Polish NGO Green REV Institute, was signed by MEPs from Germany, France, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Italy, Denmark, Portugal and Austria.
"We urge all globally-operating European food companies that have not yet done so to set a public timeline for ending the sale of caged eggs in their international supply chains," reads the letter. "The duty for food companies to behave responsibly toward animals and toward consumers does not end at the borders of the continent. For European food companies to use in their supply chains in Asia, the Middle East or elsewhere practices that are so cruel and unsafe as to be illegal in the E.U. - and practices that in many cases violate the companies' own stated animal welfare policies - is an abdication of corporate social responsibility."
A 2019 report by the European Food Safety Authority found that the shift to cage-free has resulted in lower rates of salmonella poisoning in customers, a benefit noted by Members of Parliament in their letter. "Given the increased health risks of eggs from caged hens, inaction on this issue puts international customers at increased risk of illness and hospitalization," the letter adds. "Failing to provide Asian, Middle Eastern, African or Latin American consumers the same level of food safety and food quality provided to European consumers can rightly be viewed as discriminatory."
"We applaud the Members of European Parliament for calling attention to this important issue," said Kirsty Tuxford, Program Manager at animal protection organization Lever Foundation, which has worked with a number of European and international companies on ending the use of caged eggs.
"The strong statement made by European decision-makers and Members of the European Parliament in the context of animal rights motivates us to continue our efforts," added Green REV Institute CEO Anna Spurek.
View the letter: https://leverfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/MEPletter.pdf
CONTACT
Kirsty Tuxford: kirsty@leverfoundation.org, +44 1865 60 0892
