Cage-Free at Last

As part of its ongoing commitment to "real food" using "simple" ingredients, Hellmann's announced last week that its Light Mayonnaise recipe in North America will feature 100% certified cage-free eggs in the United States.

Will being associated with a more humane practice of egg production resonate with consumers when reaching for the jar on the supermarket shelf?

"Hellmann's is made from real, simple ingredients -- vinegar, oils rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6, and eggs," said Jamey Fish, Hellmann's senior brand manager, in a statement. "Hellmann's understands that people are increasingly attuned to what's in their food and where it comes from and that's why Hellmann's Light is now moving to 100% cage-free eggs, keeping with the brand's commitment to 'Real Food' using simple ingredients."

As Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise is the first consumer product of its size in the packaged foods industry to use 100% cage-free eggs -- which equates to approximately 3.5 million pounds of eggs -- the egg market is certain to notice some change.  And, according to the announcement, Hellmann's intends to change all of its mayonnaise products to cage-free eggs over time.  Hellmann's aspires to change all of its 'Real Food' mayonnaise recipes -- Real, Canola Cholesterol Free, Olive Oil, and Low Fat Mayonnaise Dressings -- to cage-free eggs once a certifiable and consistent supply becomes available in North America.  

According to Mitch Head, a spokesperson for the United Egg Producers, a trade group, 4.5% of eggs produced each year in the U.S. are cage-free, equating to 3.7 billion cage-free eggs as compared to 75 billion regular eggs.  Citing USDA statistics, Head noted that cage-free eggs cost 36% more than regular eggs.  ($1.76 vs. $1.29 per dozen at retail).  Whether the cost of Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise will go up because of more expensive raw materials remains to be seen.

"As of now, we do not intend to raise the price of Hellmann’s Light," explained Fish.  "Like all food manufacturers we are managing the pressures of increasing commodity costs across the board, not just on cage-free eggs.  So this may change over time if market conditions dictate."

Egg industry research has shown that there is no difference in taste or nutrients between regular or cage-free eggs.  "Taste and nutrition are essentially a byproduct of whatever the hens are fed, not the type of housing system that they live in," explains Head.  

However, in its efforts to create a healthier, simpler product, why didn't Unilever simply replace the eggs with a soy or vegetable-based protein?  While not necessarily "simple," consumers interested in low-fat or diet products would probably reach for it.  For example, Puratein is an egg-yolk substitute, a plant-based protein developed from canola oils by Vancouver-based Burcon Nutrascience.  Food ingredients suppliers have harnessed advanced scientific research to develop plant-based additives which can replace or mimic traditional ingredients, often yielding a healthier alternative.  And according to a spokeswoman for Burcon, the ingredient is often cheaper.

Hellmann's is manufactured and marketed by Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer products giant.

Comments

[Air Jordans]

*People are always telling you what to do, but what's right for them may not be right for you.

[discount coach bags]

At Frank

School gardens as a way to keep migrant farm worker’s children down is not the point of the article. She was trying to engage readers and point out the absurdity (in her opinion, not mine) of the circumstances; I did not read anything that pointed to conspiracy theory.

To me, the most important issue is whether or not research has been done on the efficacy of the programs. They cost money for schools (with little of it and less time in the day), so they should be well vetted before installed. She writes that there is no evidence that school gardens positively impact test scores. That answer skirts the question of whether the gardens are successful in other, equally important ways. I'm sure you are right and good research has been done, I am just not quite as familiar with it.

Finally, I don't know the authors of The Atlantic so I won't speculate on their editorial decisions, but for what it is worth, I have seen articles from Caitlin Flannigan in the majority of last years issues.