CONCERNS over food safety, animal welfare standards, and changing consumer preferences are driving a shift in how Philippine retailers source eggs, with a growing number of chains expanding cage-free options and setting timelines to phase out caged eggs entirely.
A growing body of peer-reviewed research suggests that well-managed cage-free egg production can help reduce the risk of Salmonella contamination compared with conventional caged systems.
The Philippine government also recognized the importance of the transition in 2020, when the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) developed a comprehensive animal welfare guidelines for cage-free egg production.
Beyond regulatory and health considerations, a growing number of consumers are choosing to leave eggs off their plates entirely, reflecting a broader shift in how Filipinos think about food and its impact.
These factors form the backdrop for measurable progress reported in the 2026 Philippine Retailer Industry Cage-Free Egg Progress Report released by Lever Foundation, an international nongovernment organization advancing humane and sustainable protein supply chains across Asia.
"The Philippine retail sector is taking meaningful steps toward more humane and sustainable sourcing," said Robyn del Rosario, Sustainability Program Lead at Lever Foundation, which collaborated with several retail groups to develop their sourcing policies.
"The progress we are seeing across the sector, from brands that have already completed their transition to cage-free to those that have set a target timeline for shifting 100 percent of their eggs to cage-free and are steadily building toward that goal, reflects a growing recognition that animal welfare, food safety, and sustainability are essential business priorities," del Rosario said.
Retailers report gains in cage-free sourcing
According to the report, which evaluated 23 leading retail brands, three chains have already completed a full shift to cage-free eggs across all stores: Heyday, Healthy Options, and FreshStart. E-commerce pioneer MetroMart follows closely, with 90 percent of its egg options cage-free.
Seven of the 23 brands evaluated have set a timeline for ending the sale of caged eggs across all operations.
New commitments also emerged during the reporting period. EveGrocer, an e-commerce retailer operating in Metro Manila, Cebu, and other key cities, has expanded the share of cage-free eggs it sells to 50 percent in coordination with local government units (LGUs), with a pledge to reach 100 percent cage-free sourcing by 2028.
Metro Retail, which operates more than 70 stores across Metro Manila, Luzon, and the Visayas, has reached 26 percent cage-free eggs across its egg brands and has committed to 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2033.
All brands under SM Retail — including Walter Mart, SM Supermarket, and Alfamart — have transitioned 20 percent to 40 percent of their egg stock keeping units (SKUs) to cage-free as the group works on a broader cage-free egg policy.
Sector-wide movement and remaining gaps
The remaining retailers that have so far not set a timeline for ending the sale of caged eggs include Unimart, Cash&Carry, Landers, S&R, Ever Supermarket, Shopwise, Landmark, The Marketplace, South Supermarket, Puregold, All Day Supermarket, Robinsons Easymart, Dali, O! Save, Super8, and MerryMart.
The 2026 report evaluates retail brands on two dimensions: the proportion of egg SKUs currently sourced from cage-free farms, and the existence of a policy commitment to reach 100 percent cage-free sourcing within a specific timeframe.
The retail sector's progress mirrors broader movement in the Philippine food industry. Nearly 80 percent of leading restaurant chains and nearly 85 percent of leading hotel groups across the country have already set timelines for phasing out the use of caged eggs.
Del Rosario said that they are encouraged by the momentum they are seeing and confident that more retailers will set their own policy goals for shifting to 100 percent cage-free egg sourcing.
"We at Lever Foundation are eager to collaborate with additional retailers and share the learnings from those who have already begun or made the transition successfully. Cage-free sourcing is fast becoming the baseline expectation from consumers and the competitive standard in the Philippine market,” he said.