WESTBOROUGH, MA – BJ’s Wholesale Club announces today that the company will transition its entire supply of whole, shell eggs from cage-free farms sold at its more than 210 warehouses by 2022 or as quickly as the infrastructure will support. Additionally, BJ’s plans to source its pre-cracked, liquid eggs from cage-free farms by 2025.
“As a large-volume buyer of proteins and animal products, it is BJ’s responsibility to ensure a high standard of welfare for animals in our supply chain,” said Scott Williams, assistant vice president of quality assurance and environmental stewardship for BJ’s Wholesale Club.
In cage-free egg production, hens are not confined to cages and can interact with flock mates within a large enclosed barn. The hens are able to engage in important natural behaviors, such as walking, dust bathing, perching, and laying their eggs in nests. This is a meaningful improvement over caged systems, where hens are not even able to fully spread their wings.
“BJ’s and our Members are growing more concerned about where our food is coming from, how it is grown, and the welfare of the animals and people that are involved in the supply chain,” said Rob Johnson, dairy buyer for BJ’s Wholesale Club. “Transitioning to cage-free eggs will meet the demands of our Members in providing more farm fresh, healthier options while also reducing animal suffering.”
“BJ’s Wholesale Club is showing leadership on animal welfare and is paving the way for retailers on this important issue,” said Aaron Ross, director of campaigns at The Humane League. “We applaud BJ’s commitment to progress for farmed animals.”
For more information about how to reduce animal suffering, visit http://www.thehumaneleague.com.
About BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.
Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The company currently operates 213 clubs and 128 BJ’s Gas® locations in 15 states.
BJ’s provides a one-stop shopping destination filled with more top-quality, leading brands including its exclusive Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen brands, which are all backed by BJ’s 100% money-back guarantee; more fresh foods from USDA Choice meats to premium produce to delicious organics in many supermarket sizes; and more great value and amazing savings every day. BJ’s is also the only membership club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience offers the most payment options.
To check out all the MORE BJ’s has to offer, visit www.BJs.com and for exclusive content find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
About the Humane League
Since its founding in 2005, The Humane League has applied a grassroots-focused and results-driven approach to work with the food industry to end the caging of hens in the egg industry worldwide. One of the leading national farmed animal protection nonprofits, 2015 saw The Humane League securing commitments to eliminate cages from the supply chains of major foodservice providers, restaurants, food manufacturers, hospitality leaders, and other major companies.
The Humane League’s campaigns are funded through generous donations by its worldwide network of supporters and has been named Top Charity by Animal Charity Evaluators 4 years in a row. To learn more visit thehumaneleague.com.
Source: BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.