UK cage-free commitments monitored by Compassion in World Farming’s EggTrack initiative have reached an average transition rate of 97% across 71 reporting commitments.
However, the animal-welfare NGO said only 31 of the 49 UK companies included in its assessment had completed the transition across every egg category in their supply chains.
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Among retailers, Aldi UK, Lidl GB and Tesco UK are reported to have reached 100% cage-free sourcing, joining Waitrose, M&S, Co-op and Sainsbury’s, which completed their commitments before 2025.
Asda has moved to cage-free sourcing for its own-brand shell eggs and egg products, although EggTrack is calling on the retailer to extend the policy to branded shell eggs. Morrisons is reported to be sourcing 100% cage-free shell eggs and 92% cage-free egg products.
The report also identifies businesses whose original timetables have changed. Iceland has moved its deadline to 2027 and did not report progress for 2025, while SPAR UK has removed its public time-bound commitment, according to Compassion.
Packers
The two UK egg packers included in the assessment, Noble Foods and LJ Fairburn & Son, have extended their deadlines to 2026. EggTrack records their cage-free production at 95% and 89% respectively.
EggTrack is an NGO monitoring initiative rather than a statutory audit of the whole market. Its findings are based on publicly stated commitments and company reporting, so the figures should be read as a measure of progress among participating and tracked businesses rather than a complete picture of UK egg production.
Globally, Compassion assessed 852 commitments across 602 business entities. It calculated an average cage-free transition rate of 85%, up from 75% in its previous global report in 2023.
Of 415 commitments carrying a 2025 deadline, 198—or 48%—had been completed. A further 29% were at least three-quarters complete.
Withdrawn commitments
The organisation said 50 commitments had been withdrawn entirely and 29 businesses had removed their deadlines while retaining a general cage-free pledge. It is urging businesses that missed their 2025 targets to publish revised plans and provide clearer reporting.
Separately, the Open Wing Alliance, another animal-welfare coalition, said Best Western Hotels & Resorts had purchased cage-free egg credits to support its global commitment where direct sourcing remains difficult.
The credits are intended to support certified cage-free producers while addressing temporary regional supply constraints. The coalition presents them as complementary to direct sourcing rather than a replacement for physical cage-free purchasing.
