April 16, 2021

Walmart Mexico highlighted for failing cage-free chicken test

A new corporate ranking from Mercy for Animals (MFA) that aims to encourage humane supply practices among 34 egg sellers in Latin America found Walmart Mexico to be one of the worst offenders for obtaining supplies from caged chickens, Reuters reported.

Besides Walmart Mexico, other companies that have been flagged for failing to make or implementing cage-free assurances were Soriana, a major supermarket chain, and Femsa, a conglomerate that operates Oxxo convenience stores.

The three companies were criticised by MFA for poor transparency on their egg suppliers.

The MFA's Latin America ranking credited McDonald's and Costco for making progress in obtaining cage-free supplies.

The European Union and several states in the United States have banned eggs produced from caged chickens because of animal cruelty.

The International Egg Commission found that Mexicans eat 23 kg of eggs annually, the most in the world. Other top egg consuming nations include Argentina, Colombia, and Peru.

- Reuters