Not many people know it, but some of the most popular brands we see every day in supermarkets are owned by Associated British Foods (ABF), one of the world’s top food processing companies. Some of the brands under their umbrella include Twinings, Ovaltine, Patak’s, Kingsmill, Jordans, Tip Top, Yumi’s, Mazola, and many more. With annual revenue exceeding $20 billion USD, ABF’s grocery division delivers products on supermarket shelves worldwide from the Americas to Asia, including China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and several other Asian markets.

With customers in 53 countries across the continents, ABF is also the world’s second-largest producer of both sugar and baker’s yeast. Despite being a worldwide powerhouse, ABF lacked one key component: a global commitment to sourcing solely cage-free eggs.

Lever’s team contacted ABF in 2020 and offered its expertise and resources to help the company feel confident in finding reliable cage-free egg suppliers across its markets. As a result of this work, ABF has committed to sourcing only cage-free eggs in all markets by 2025, except for Brazil, which will join the pledge by 2028.

The new year is a time of fresh start, and as 2023 begins, Lever will keep assisting global food companies in moving away from cruel caged eggs and switching to more humane cage-free eggs to reduce the suffering of hens across Asia.

This work happened because of the support of people like you. Please consider donating today to build a more humane and sustainable protein supply in Asia.