At the annual shareholder meeting of Krispy Kreme on Tuesday, a representative of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) asked the company to improve food sustainability in its supply chain by switching to cage-free eggs, as other food manufacturers have done.

The HSUS recently purchased stock in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina–based company as part of its efforts encouraging Krispy Kreme to move away from egg suppliers that confine hens in cages as many other food companies have done. Krispy Kreme has said that it may purchase some cage-free eggs starting in 2012, but it has not developed a firm plan for doing so.

“Hens who produce eggs for Krispy Kreme donuts are crammed into cages so small, they’re virtually immobilized for their entire lives,” says Matthew Prescott, corporate outreach director for the HSUS’ factory farming campaign. “Krispy Kreme should join the growing sustainable food movement by creating a firm plan for switching to cage-free eggs, as Sara Lee and other companies have done.”