Popular sandwich chain O’Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe won praise from international NGO Lever Foundation for its new pledge to source only cage-free eggs by 2025 for its shops in Malaysia and elsewhere in Asia.
“We firmly believe that the food we consume every day is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle, which is why we pride ourselves on choosing premium ingredients for our signature dishes,” said Brian Pua, Managing Director at O’Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe. “For this reason, we feel the time is right for a full commitment to using only cage-free egg ingredients in our cafes in Malaysia and APAC by 2025, as a way to making our supply chain kinder to animals and healthier for consumers.”
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, O’Briens runs over 200 cafes worldwide, including 25 outlets in Malaysia and additional stores in mainland China, Australia, Singapore, and Dubai Airport. Under the new goal, O’Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe shops in APAC will source only cage-free eggs by 2025.
Animal protection and food safety organizations worldwide encourage a switch to cage-free eggs, which are more humane to animals and safer for consumers. Research by the European Food Safety Authority and others has found that cage-free egg farms are up to 25 times less likely to be contaminated with key salmonella strains than hens raised in cages.
“We congratulate O’Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe for this excellent cage-free pledge, which will greatly benefit egg-laying hens as well as domestic and international customers,” said Vilosha Sivaraman, Sustainability Program Manager at Lever Foundation, which worked with the company on its commitment. “We hope more restaurant chains and food companies in Malaysia follow O’Briens’ example in ending the use of caged eggs.”
A study by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) found that the humane treatment of animals is a critical component of the country’s growing green foods movement, with 91% of consumers believing green foods can and must prevent unnecessary animal suffering. A separate study also showed consumers are willing to pay significantly more for higher-quality eggs.
Lever Foundation is a global NGO that works with leading food companies in Malaysia and across the region to help them upgrade their protein sourcing for a more humane, safe and sustainable supply chain.
