Hellmann’s to use 100% cage-free eggs for mayonnaise products

US-based mayonnaise manufacturer Hellmann's has said that all its products will be produced using cage-free eggs.

The company has taken this initiative as part of its commitment to use real, sustainably-sourced ingredients.

For this initiative, the company has partnered with suppliers and animal-welfare organisations to achieve the goal three years early in the US.

Hellmann's marketing director Russel Lilly said: "When Hellmann's first made this commitment, there simply weren't enough cage-free hens in America to supply the volume of eggs needed.

"The sheer number of eggs that go into Hellmann's products, 331 million a year, means we had to completely rebuild our supply chain in order to make our goal a reality."

In 2010, the company had set the goal to use 100% cage-free eggs by 2020, and become one of the first companies in the US to do so at a time when only 2% of egg-laying hens were cage-free.

The Humane Society of the US senior food policy director Matthew Prescott said: "Hellmann's and Unilever have proven yet again that doing well goes hand-in-hand with doing good.

"People want animal welfare assurances when it comes to the food they buy, and Hellmann's move shows just how in-sync the company is with its customers."

Hellmann's transition to cage-free would complement Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, the company's blueprint for sustainable growth.

Lilly further added: "At Hellmann's, we know consumers increasingly want to understand where their food comes from and how it's made.

“We're focused on being a sustainable business that does the right thing."

The company further added that the products will be offering same taste and will be available at the same price.