Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts Malaysia was praised by international NGO Lever Foundation for its commitment to source only cage-free eggs by 2025. The hotel is a subsidiary of Singapore-based hospitality group Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, which manages a portfolio of over 100 resorts, hotels and spas across Asia, America, Africa and the Middle East.
The group owns three five-star hotels in Malaysia under the Angsana and Banyan Tree & Pavilion brands. The new goal will require the hotels to source only cage-free eggs for their food and beverage operations nationwide.
“We take corporate social responsibility very seriously and are committed to making a positive impact on our local communities,” said Filippo Abisso, Head of Culinary Operations. “We are proud to announce that we have committed to using cage-free eggs in our hotels only by 2025, thus creating a better environment for the animals and contributing to a more responsible and compassionate business model.”
Vilosha Sivaraman, Sustainability Program Manager at Lever Foundation, who worked with the company on its commitment said “a growing number of hospitality companies in Malaysia are shifting to cage-free eggs to boost animal welfare and food safety, as customers demand more humane and healthy food products.”
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. Battery cage egg production has been banned throughout the European Union as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, India, and parts of the United States.
A recent study published in the International Food Research Journal by faculty from the Food Science and Technology Department of 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. Another study revealed that consumers are willing to pay significantly more for higher-quality eggs.
