Update: As of January 2023, Gyudon House and Trust Me I’m Chef have published that they no longer buy eggs from caged hens. As of December 2022, Go Coffee and Ice Cream has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.
BANGKOK—Humane Society International in Thailand welcomes Gyudon House, Trust Me I’m Chef, and Go Coffee & Ice Cream’s commitments to exclusively use cage-free eggs in all of their menus by 2026, including products they create for other restaurants and cafés. Trust Me I’m Chef and Gyudon House plan to reach this target earlier, by 2023. Humane Society International has been working behind the scenes with the brands to make this possible and is continuing the collaboration by supporting the development of a cage-free egg implementation plan. Go Coffee & Ice Cream is committed to issuing annual progress reports toward their 2026 target, to demonstrate their responsibility to both their customers and the animals.
In 2020, Thailand kept 94,8 million egg-laying hens (FAO database), typically confined in wire cages so small that they cannot freely spread their wings. Cage-free production systems provide a much higher level of welfare, allowing the birds to express their natural behavior, including ground scratching and pecking, laying their eggs in nests, perching and fully spreading their wings, which are all scientifically documented behavioral needs. Gyudon House, Trust Me I’m Chef, and Go Coffee & Ice Cream are sending a clear message to the egg industry and related stakeholders: In Thailand, the future of egg production is cage-free.
Gyudon House, Trust Me I’m Chef, and Go Coffee & Ice Cream are joining 50 other companies in Thailand, such as Minor Food and Tesco, that have pledged to use exclusively cage-free eggs in their supply chains. With more than 2,000 corporations all around the globe—such as Burger King, Bimbo, Sofitel Saigon Plaza and Accor—having committed to go cage-free, Thailand is part of a global trend toward cage-free eggs.
Mr. Khunglang Khukuntin, restaurant owner and head chef for Gyudon House, says: “This new commitment is an important milestone towards a society more respectful of farm animals’ welfare. We are delighted to be leading this change and hope to influence companies of all sizes to do the same. A business cannot be good and sustain itself without a sense of responsibility for the well-being of others. Giving is of higher value than receiving.”
Trust Me I’m Chef’s top management team says, “Once we learned about the intensive cage confinement of hens in barren cages when alternatives are readily available, we were compelled to change our policy immediately. Not only will this change ensure that we are reducing suffering and helping to ensure that these animals have room to move, but we are also ensuring that we support farmers who care about animal welfare. It is our responsibility to our customers to not only source ingredients regarding safety and hygiene, but also to know where they came from and how they were produced. Cage-free is the right thing to do.”
“We are seeking to implement the best practices on all aspects of corporate social responsibility, and we are aware that our long-term growth depends on new generations who value social responsibility and seek to help the world. Good actions come with good results. The café sees this as an opportunity to promote better welfare for hens and to educate consumers, to encourage others to support a better life for farm animals. Adopting a cage-free egg sourcing policy emphasizes the café’s care for consumers and animals. This modification will accelerate higher welfare for animals, and support producers’ fortune,” says Miss Vorawan Suvattanapim, co-founder of Go Coffee & Ice Cream.
Lalada Tangjerdjaras, program manager for Humane Society International’s Farm Animal Welfare and Protection program in Thailand celebrated the announcements. “Gyudon House, Trust Me I’m Chef and Go Coffee & Ice Cream have taken an important first step to improve the welfare of farm animals by providing these sentient beings with enough room to spread their wings, and Humane Society International is excited to be part of this growing global movement by working with stakeholders here on the ground in Thailand.”
Humane Society International will continue working alongside Gyudon House, Trust Me I’m Chef, Go Coffee & Ice Cream to ensure the full implementation of their commitment. HSI will work with these restaurants by supporting them in relationship-building with suppliers, training and workshops to educate teams and customers, marketing, quality management, and compliance in cooperating with good practices for animals’ wellbeing.
HSI’s work to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture is both science-based and collaborative. The organization works with companies, farmers, processors, scientists and certifiers to support a transition to cage-free housing systems, and offers a wide range of support to companies including farm visits, consumer education and corporate roundtables and workshops to enhance their supply chains.
