STOCKHOLM—Scandic Hotels, the leading hotel company in the Nordic countries, has decided to stop using eggs from caged hens. Each year, Scandic serves between 11.5 and 13 million eggs* at its hotels, with the majority already from free-range hens, and from September 2018, the hotel will begin to gradually phase out eggs from caged hens in all products.
A large share of the eggs served at Scandic today come from free-range hens, but egg is also sometimes an ingredient in many of the prepared foods. This is why Scandic has now introduced a cage-free egg policy for its suppliers to ensure that the products Scandic buys from them contain only cage-free eggs.
“I’m extremely happy that we’ve made the decision to stop using eggs from caged hens,” says AnnSofie Lanner, Acting Director of Sustainable Business at Scandic Hotels. “This is a natural step in our constant work to operate more sustainably. We always try to make conscious choices based on the impact a decision has on the environment and animal welfare.”
According to Djurens Rätt, an animal rights organization in Sweden, about 12 percent, or just over one million, of the hens in Sweden are caged, although the number is steadily decreasing as more consumers and companies are choosing eggs from cage-free hens.
‘Will Make a Difference for Many Hens’
“For us at Djurens Rätt, this is great news,” says Nathalie Söderström, who is responsible for corporate relations at Djurens Rätt. “With its cage-free egg policy, Scandic is truly demonstrating that the company leads the way in its sector. This decision will make a difference for many hens.”
The decision to introduce a cage-free egg policy is part of Scandic’s ongoing work to operate more sustainably. In the past, Scandic has made improvements to its food and beverage offering to contribute to a more sustainable world, for example, by serving vegan options at breakfast and Fairtrade products as well as introducing initiatives to reduce food waste.
The new policy will apply at all Scandic hotels. Eggs, and products containing eggs, from caged hens will be gradually phased out between September 2018 and 2020, with the exception of hotels in Norway where they will be completely phased out by 2022.
