Phoenix-based Sprouts announced the new egg sourcing policy yesterday, and the company’s website said it went into effect as of December.
Across Sprouts’ dairy department, organics accounted for more than 40% of the category’s sales volume in 2021, the specialty grocer said.
Regulated by the USDA, free-range designates that the hens were sheltered in a building, room or area with unlimited access to food, fresh water and continuous access to the outdoors .
Hens also must be outdoors year-round and have mobile or fixed housing where they can go inside at night for protection from predators.
By 2024, the retailer aims to improve the environment for chickens, including litter, lighting and enrichments in line with the Better Chicken Commitment standards, designed to encourage the natural behavior of chickens.
As of 2021, more than 17% of the chicken sold at Sprouts was processed through CAS facilities, and the grocer plans to boost that percentage to more than 60% by 2024 and 100% by 2026.