It is a revolution that has been driven by consumers: the major chain fast food in the United States have begun to change the way they get the eggs.
The changes are aimed at improving the living conditions of the hens that spend their lives in cages smaller than a sheet of 8 x 11 inches, unable to move and stretch their wings.
The latest company to join this week has been Taco Bell, with the announcement that use eggs produced without caging hens in 6,000 US locations by the end of 2016.
Taco Bell is the first of five fast food chains also Yummy Brands which owns Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried chicken- to adopt such a measure.
In making the announcement, the company recognized Mexican style food that responds to pressure from consumers.
"The implementation of this change at a record pace underlines that we are always listening and responding to our customers, while doing what is right for our business," Taco Bell said in a statement.
In early November Panera Bread announced a similar measure Taco Bell, but only enter into force in 2020.
McDonald's said it will take a decade and Burger King two years. Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and TGI Fridays also implement the changes immediately.
"We encourage all companies to follow the example of the speed of Taco Bell," he told BBC Josh Balk, director of food policy animal protection organization Humane Society. "They understand they have to align with consumer sentiment, which rejects cruel to the birds."
The power of social networks
In the vast sea of internet many websites are dedicated to denounce the practices of corporate animal abuse.
Supported social networks, animal advocacy organizations have successfully amplified message. Users videos denouncing the abuse of animals and campaigns to demand better treatment on platforms like Change.org have helped consumers are better informed about the origin and quality of their food.
Humane Society covertly recorded videos that illustrate the conditions in which hens producing eggs live. One of the most recent shot in Hillandale Farms, a farm that supplies to the Costco Wholesale in Pennsylvania, generated much national attention and anger consumers.
"There is a reason why these farms operate behind closed doors in the middle of nowhere," says Balk. "With social networks, people are becoming more informed about the origin of the food they eat, and increases pressure on large companies."
Campaigns animal activists in the US radiate elsewhere via the Internet, and help create more consumer awareness, considered Blanca Alfaro, coordinator for Latin America of the organization Mercy for Animals.
"In the region there is still no clear awareness of the importance of food suppliers, but more and more people, thanks to the Internet and social networks, are learning that there are options to choose from," he said.
The cost of change
Taco Bell uses about 13 million eggs annually, and its breakfast menu represents 6% of its sales, according to Reuters, while MC Donalds uses two billion-less eggs than 4% of the national supply. The McMuffins provide a quarter of the profits to the company.
USA It produces 43.56 billion eggs a year. In total, the country has 275 million chickens, and recently announced changes, 24 million chickens will produce eggs out of the cages.
No change is expected to dramatically increase the price of eggs. McDonalds has said it will not raise prices to consumers.
The measure will also benefit small producers of eggs, which can become suppliers of fast food chains. And how many more join the attempt to deliver eggs produced outside the cage, more producers will be forced to offer them.
The victory over the egg production industry gives new impetus to the activists to push for other changes such as eliminating the use of antibiotics and hormones in meat and palm oil into various products.