WASHINGTON (AP) - Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. said Wednesday it will drop an egg supplier accused of mistreating chickens, responding to pressure from the Humane Society of the United States.

The ice cream maker's CEO, Walt Freese, said in a telephone interview that dropping Michael Foods Inc., of Minnetonka, Minn., "seemed like the right thing to do." He said the change would be effective next week.

The Humane Society said an investigation of a Michael Foods egg farm in June found hens dying of starvation, live hens living among dead ones and sick or injured birds caught in cage wires.

The animal welfare group recently launched a campaign dubbed A Scoop of Lies: Ben & Jerry's and Factory Farm Cruelty, calling on Ben & Jerry's to stop using the supplier and other eggs raised in small cages.

Michael Foods said it had not heard from Ben & Jerry's, so it had no immediate comment on the issue Wednesday. The company said this week it planned to switch to larger cages to meet or exceed United Egg Producer guidelines for hen welfare.

Freese wouldn't commit to buying only cage-free eggs.

"We're really evaluating our options," he said. "We have a lot of respect for the Humane Society and their point of view."

But the Humane Society's president, Wayne Pacelle, said his group would be satisfied with nothing less than a switch to cage-free eggs.

"We don't want Ben & Jerry's to simply shift to another battery cage operation," he said.

Founded in 1978 by entrepreneurs Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Vermont-based Ben & Jerry's mission includes "a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the Earth and the Environment," its website says. It was bought by the Dutch conglomerate Unilever in 2000.

Freese said that the main problem with Michael Foods was that not all of its eggs were produced in compliance with guidelines established by the United Egg Producers.

"That's important to us because we're committed to the humane treatment of all animals that are involved in the production of ingredients for Ben & Jerry's," he said.

But the Humane Society considers the United Egg Producers guidelines woefully inadequate - saying they still permit hens to be confined in small cages that provide little room for the birds to move.

Freese said the decision to drop Michael Foods was made in response to discussions it's had with the Humane Society that started "some time ago."

Also Wednesday, Ben & Jerry's issued a statement out of London saying it uses free-range eggs in its European ice cream production.

"We made the decision in Europe first, because free-range eggs are more readily available, and at a more affordable cost," Freese said.

Freese said the company has received phone calls and e-mails from consumers about the issue.

While he didn't have exact numbers, Freese said, "It's enough to let us know that there a number of consumers out there who are concerned about how our eggs are sourced, and we respect that concern."

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