Eleven years ago, Trader Joe’s announced it would take steps to ensure its store-brand eggs only came from sources that get eggs from cage-free hens. Now, the company has revised that plan to sell all cage-free eggs by 2025. 

Trader Joe’s says in a notice to customers that while 62% of the eggs it sells currently come from cage-free sources, it wants that number to be 100% in nine years.

As part of the grocer’s plan, it will switch to all cage-free eggs at its stores in the western U.S. — including California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado — by 2020.

It then plans to have all eggs at all stores in the U.S. sourced from cage-free suppliers by 2025.

“If market conditions allow us to accomplish these goals earlier, while still providing our customers outstanding value, we will do so,” the company said.

President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States Wayne Parcelle applauded Trader Joe’s on its mission to be 100% cage-free when it comes to eggs.

“Back in 2005, after Whole Foods Market became the first major grocer to go 100 percent cage-free for eggs in its supply chain, we waged a campaign calling on Trader Joe’s also to go cage-free, resulting in a compromise where the company committed to switch all its private label eggs to cage-free,” Parcelle said in a blog post. “The company has indicated that it may accelerate the timeline, and we surely hope it does.”

Trader Joe’s is just the latest company to go down the cage-free path. Last month, Target announced it would source eggs from only cage-free sources, while several restaurants, including Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Panera Bread, have gone cage-free.

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