Campaigners from The Humane League UK staged a protest outside an Iceland store in Waterloo, condemning the retailer’s continued sale of eggs from caged hens despite their 2025 cage-free commitment. Iceland ranks lowest among supermarkets in progress towards ending caged eggs, prompting calls for urgent action to improve animal welfare.
Animal rights activists staged a protest outside an Iceland supermarket in Waterloo to highlight the retailer’s continued sale of eggs from caged hens, despite a public commitment to source only cage-free eggs by 2025. The demonstration was organised by The Humane League UK, an animal protection charity that recently published a league table ranking UK supermarkets on their progress towards eliminating caged hen eggs.
The league table named ten major supermarkets, all of which have pledged to transition entirely to cage-free eggs by the end of 2025. However, Iceland ranked lowest in the table, with its own data revealing that 71% of the eggs it sold during 2023-24 came from hens kept in cages. In response to these figures, campaigners called on the retailer to fulfil its promise by staging the protest and delivering a letter demanding an end to the sale of caged eggs.
Protesters wore masks depicting Richard Walker, the managing director of Iceland, as a symbolic critique of the company’s leadership. Claire Williams, campaigns manager at The Humane League UK, accused Iceland of betraying both the hens and the public after failing to meet its pledge. Speaking after the protest, Williams said: “Iceland promised to get hens out of cages, and are failing to do so. Unfortunately, there’s no roundtable from which we can vote out Iceland executives. They are hiding behind excuses while hundreds of thousands of hens in their supply chain are suffering horribly in cramped cages. That’s why we are publicly demonstrating – to ensure that Iceland keeps its word and gets suffering hens out of cages.”
Jodi Darwood, campaigns coordinator at the charity, emphasised the disconnect between public opinion and Iceland’s actions. She highlighted a recent survey conducted by Bryant Research, which found that 94% of UK consumers oppose the use of cages for laying hens. Despite this widespread opposition, approximately eight million hens are still kept in cages across the country. Darwood remarked: “The UK public doesn’t want to buy eggs from hens who have lived lives of misery and confinement in tiny cages. While we were warmly received by members of the public, Iceland staff refused to accept our letter urging them to keep their cage-free promise.”
Darwood further added pointed criticism, stating, “Iceland, Richard Walker – without getting your hens out of cages, you are traitors. You have had nine years to fulfil this pledge. Thousands of animals, and your customers, deserve far better than this.”
The Humane League UK’s campaign forms part of ongoing pressure on supermarkets to improve animal welfare standards in their egg supply chains. Iceland’s position at the bottom of the league table underscores concerns about retailer compliance with corporate social responsibility commitments related to cage-free sourcing. Food Manufacture has approached Iceland for comment on the protest and the charity’s accusations.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.grocerygazette.co.uk/2025/04/01/iceland-asda-cage-free/ – This article corroborates the claim that The Humane League UK published a ranking of UK supermarkets on their progress towards eliminating caged hen eggs, naming Iceland as the lowest-ranked supermarket with 71% of its eggs sold in 2023-24 coming from caged hens. It also highlights Iceland’s failure to meet its cage-free pledge by 2025 and campaigners’ criticisms of the retailer.
- https://theecologist.org/2025/apr/01/iceland-must-end-eggs-cuses – This source supports the information about The Humane League UK’s protest against Iceland’s continued sale of eggs from caged hens and the criticism that Iceland is falling back on its commitment to end the sale of such eggs by 2025.
- https://poultry.network/iceland-and-asda-singled-out-in-analysis-of-cage-free-movement/ – This source reinforces the claim that Iceland faces failure in its commitment to transition fully to cage-free eggs by the end of 2025 and highlights The Humane League’s detailed analysis regarding Iceland’s egg sourcing.
- https://www.thepoultrysite.com/news/2016/07/iceland-supermarket-pledges-switch-to-cagefree-eggs-by-2025 – This article supports the historical context that Iceland publicly pledged back in 2016 to switch entirely to cage-free eggs by 2025, confirming the timeline and public commitment referenced in the protest.
- https://www.animalsheltering.org/news/uk-public-opposes-cage-eggs-survey – This source corroborates the survey findings mentioned by Jodi Darwood from The Humane League UK, showing that a significant majority (94%) of UK consumers oppose the use of cages for laying hens, highlighting public opinion against caged egg production.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative is current given the recent protest and ongoing pressure for cage-free egg sourcing, but it involves a commitment set for 2025, suggesting it remains relevant yet lacks entirely new developments.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The quotes from Clare Williams and Jodi Darwood appear original to this context, as there is no evidence they have been widely used elsewhere. However, without further context, it’s challenging to pinpoint the exact first usage.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from a detailled press context but lacks specific mention of a widely recognized publication. However, it includes names and organizations that can be verified, lending credibility to the account.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about Iceland’s egg sourcing and public protest are plausible and align with known challenges in achieving entirely cage-free egg supply chains by major retailers.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative passes due to its freshness, as it discusses recent protests and ongoing issues. The quotes seem original, and while the source isn’t explicitly from a major outlet, it includes verifiable details. The claims are plausible and consistent with known industry challenges.
