Scandic bans cage eggs at its hotels

Scandic Hotels, the leading hotel company in the Nordic countries, has decided to stop using eggs from caged hens. Each year, Scandic serves between 11.5 and 13 million eggs* at its hotels, with the majority already from free-range hens, and from September 2018, the hotel will begin to gradually phase out eggs from caged hens in all products.

A large share of the eggs served at Scandic today come from free-range hens, but egg is also sometimes an ingredient in many of the prepared foods. This is why Scandic has now introduced a cage-free egg policy for its suppliers to ensure that the products Scandic buys from them contain only cage-free eggs.

I’m extremely happy that we’ve made the decision to stop using eggs from caged hens. This is a natural step in our constant work to operate more sustainably. We always try to make conscious choices based on the impact a decision has on the environment and animal welfare, says AnnSofie Lanner, Acting Director of Sustainable Business at Scandic Hotels.

According to Djurens Rätt, an animal rights organization in Sweden, about 12 percent, or just over one million, of the hens in Sweden are caged, although the number is steadily decreasing as more consumers and companies are choosing eggs from cage-free hens.

For us at Djurens Rätt, this is great news. With its cage-free egg policy, Scandic is truly demonstrating that the company leads the way in its sector. This decision will make a difference for many hens, says Nathalie Söderström, who is responsible for corporate relations at Djurens Rätt.

The decision to introduce a cage-free egg policy is part of Scandic’s ongoing work to operate more sustainably. In the past, Scandic has made improvements to its food and beverage offering to contribute to a more sustainable world, for example, by serving vegan options at breakfast and Fairtrade products as well as introducing initiatives to reduce food waste.

The new policy will apply at all Scandic hotels. Eggs, and products containing eggs, from caged hens will be gradually phased out between September 2018 and 2020, with the exception of hotels in Norway where they will be completely phased out by 2022.

*eggs in all forms, including whole eggs, liquid egg products and cooked eggs

For more information, please contact:

Anna-Klara Lindholm, PR Manager, Scandic Hotels Group
Email: anna-klara.lindholm@scandichotels.com
Phone: +46 709 73 52 31

About Scandic Hotels Group

Scandic is the largest hotel company in the Nordic region with 16,000 team members and a network of around 280 hotels in operation and under development in more than 130 destinations. Scandic Friends is the biggest loyalty program in the Nordic hotel sector. Corporate responsibility has always been a part of Scandic’s DNA and Scandic has been a pioneer when it comes to integrating sustainability in all of its operations. Scandic Hotels is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. www.scandichotelsgroup.com.