NEW YORK – While some restaurants and QSRs have announced plans to use only cage-free eggs, CNBC is reporting that Taco Bell is the first national fast-food chain to accomplish this goal.

By the end of 2016, the news source writes that the Yum Brands unit plans to serve only cage-free eggs at 6,000-plus corporate and franchise-owned locations in the United States—a nod to food transparency and “consumers' increased interest in ingredients and the quality of their food.”

“We are a brand that has our finger on the pulse of not only what appeals to our customers’ tastes but also the issues they care most about, and they tell us they want food that’s simple and easy to understand,” Brian Niccol, CEO of Taco Bell Corp., said in a press release. “Implementing this change at record pace underscores that we are always listening and responding to our customers, while doing what is right for our business.”

Taco Bell also confirmed that by the beginning of 2016, it will remove artificial flavors and colors, added trans fat, high fructose corn syrup and unsustainable palm oil from its core menu items. The company also plans to introduce aspartame-free diet Pepsi products in all of its U.S. restaurants beginning in early 2016.

The company also plans to expand its policies related to food simplicity, transparency and choice in coming months, to complement its stated goal of eliminating additional preservatives and additives where possible by the end of 2017.

“Ingredient transparency is more important than ever to the next generation of Taco Bell customers. That is why we remain hungry and challenge ourselves to set ambitious yet achievable commitments that make our food better, without ever compromising the flavor that our fans crave,” said Liz Matthews, chief food innovation officer at Taco Bell Corp.