100% of the fresh shell eggs used in our restaurants in Puerto Rico come from cage-free hens

From now on, Puerto Ricans visiting our 95 restaurants around the island will have the opportunity to enjoy delicious and nutritious fresh eggs that not only taste great and are nutritious but also come from sustainable sources with the highest animal welfare standards.

“We are very proud to join this achievement and reaffirm Arcos Dorados’ commitment to being agents of change. We firmly believe in the importance of offering delicious, high quality food in an accessible, sustainable and ethical manner. This milestone is part of a series of initiatives that prioritize our commitment to leading innovative solutions to the socio-environmental needs of our communities, hand in hand with our customers, employees and suppliers,” said Vincent Lamazou, Managing Director of Arcos Dorados Puerto Rico and USVI.

In this way, Puerto Rico joins countries like Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru that already offer cage-free shell eggs. This egg production system prioritizes the welfare and health of laying hens, ensuring an environment where they can exercise their natural behavior, guaranteeing a controlled, safe and balanced environment. This production method allows hens greater freedom and space to express their natural behaviors in open and audited spaces with nests, resting areas, and enrichment, among other elements.

Since 1990, McDonald’s has developed a set of guiding principles for the health and welfare of animals. That is why we work every day to ensure cruelty-free breeding processes and the best standards of living for animals. Thus, 100% of our beef, pork, poultry and laying hens suppliers are audited in their animal welfare practices. We have achieved these milestones thanks to the proactive collaboration of our network of suppliers, animal behavior experts, and academia, with whom we design and are implementing these far-reaching changes in egg production. As part of these policies, our suppliers must comply with rigorous auditing processes that ensure their food safety practices, ingredient sourcing, animal welfare and sustainable development.

Cargill has been the supplier of shell eggs for McDonald’s in Puerto Rico since 2022, providing fresh eggs to all restaurants on the island. All of Cargill’s cage-free eggs are certified by the American Humane Association, United Poultry Producers, or Humane Farm Animal Care. In addition, their practices are governed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Egg Safety Rule standards, which establishes biosecurity measures, pest control, hygiene and environmental control for laying hens.

We will continue to advance our initiatives that prioritize sustainability, animal welfare and ingredient quality throughout our supply chain!