At first glance, this work reflects a familiar grocery store scene.

The drawing uses perspective and colour to guide attention to the lower half of the composition, where vivid product displays surround a Burnbrae “nest-laid” egg carton. Above, faint images of chickens emerge along the ceiling, based on real images from “enriched” hen housing. In reality, these are fully indoor cage systems housing 10 to 100 hens per enclosure, stacked up to five tiers high. This is the same system used to produce Burnbrae’s “nest-laid” eggs.

This contrast points to a broader disconnect within the Canadian egg industry. Despite commitments made in 2016 to transition to cage-free eggs by 2025, 80 percent of eggs sold by Sobeys still come from caged hens. At the same time, corporations mislead consumers with terms like “nest-laid”, “enriched colony housing” and “free-run”, highlighting the gap between marketing and reality. 

80% of Canadians support a ban on cages for egg-laying hens, yet government & industry are failing to act. To learn more and take action, check out https://sobeysinvestigated.ca/