Some products, like the Spinach and Feta Breakfast Wrap, are advertised as cage-free. But other products remain unspecified.
Though a portion of the eggs Starbucks sources are noted as "cage free," such as those used in the Spinach and Feta Breakfast Wrap, many aren't specified, leaving customers to wonder.
The petition alleges that the unmarked eggs come from farms where hens are kept in small battery cages and asks the coffee chain to switch to cage-free eggs for all of breakfast and bakery items throughout its 21,000 worldwide stores.
The group notes that Starbucks frequently touts its sustainability and ethics, but that hens living in the tiny cages smaller than 7 "venti"-size drinks violates those principles.
The practice has already been outlawed in the European Union and a few states in the US.
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Reuters
Starbucks is being accused of keeping hens for its eggs in cages.
"We are pretty hopeful," the Humane League's campaign coordinator Taylor Ford told The Huffington Post. "We are still in the early stages of the campaign and believe that enough pressure from consumers will make Starbucks change the terrible practices they now support."
Other fast food chains like Burger King, Au Bon Pain, and Dunkin Donuts have already promised to limit or completely stop using caged hen eggs.
Starbucks provided the following statement:
"Since 2008 we have increased availability of our cage-free eggs offerings - including the egg in our protein plate which has always been cage free. Although our ethical sourcing programs and goals are focused on coffee, tea and cocoa, our commitment extends to all of our products, ensuring that we meet the needs and interests of a broad cross-section of customers in a responsible way. To that end, we developed our position on animal welfare and strive to do business with suppliers who share our commitment, including establishing a buying preference that encourages our North American suppliers to use animal welfare-friendly practices. This position guides our efforts to source our dairy and food responsibly."