Eggs are a big part of many spring celebrations and activities. Kids love to decorate and dye them, hide them, and cook them with their families in festive foods.
The spring holidays are the egg industry’s biggest annual sales events. However, this year the egg supply is limited due to high path avian influenza (HPAI), also known as “bird flu.” Egg prices have reached record highs in recent months as bird flu outbreaks have hit poultry farms and forced producers to cull tens of millions of hens.
While pricing and supply may pose problems for many families this spring, the likelihood that eggs from infected poultry are found in the retail market is low. Proper storage and preparation further reduce the risk. Whether you source your eggs from a local grocery store, farmers market or a neighbor with a home flock, there is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted to humans through properly preparing eggs. (Source: FDA)
The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) provides information on safe egg handling to ensure families can observe spring celebrations and prevent foodborne illness from coming as an unwanted guest:
- Wash hands with soap and water before preparing food and after handling raw eggs.
- Prevent cross-contamination. Wash cutting boards, counters, utensils, and serving plates after touching raw eggs, meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny.
- Cook dishes containing eggs until the internal temperature reaches 160° F on a food thermometer.
- For egg hunts and other activities, only use eggs that have been refrigerated. Discard eggs that are cracked, dirty, or have been out at room temperature for more than two hours.
These eggs-pert food safety tips will help keep kids and families safe this spring season!
The Partnership spoke with a few of its collaborative partners who work directly in the chicken and egg industry to get clarity on the current crisis and when consumers might see relief at the grocery store checkout.
Rafael Rivera, Ph.D., director of food safety and production programs with USPoultry, who works with egg production suppliers, provided some perspective to the current production difficulties.
“The complications stem from this round of infections being so intense. New infections are starting to die down, so new pullets are being able to be placed, and it is helping increase the supply and will reduce egg prices,” said Dr. Rivera. “The industry and government agencies are pooling their resources to stamp out the disease as quickly as possible. This action, along with strong biosecurity practices, is the best tool to control the disease. The available eggs are safe to eat when following proper handling instructions.”
According to the New York Times, new data reported on April 10 showed that egg prices at the grocery store continued to climb in March, rising 5.9% over the previous month and 60.4% over March 2024 prices.
Experts with the National Chicken Council (NCC) shared how HPAI affects the market for chicken products. NCC advises consumers that HPAI affects 92% of laying hen flocks. Only 8% of chicken farms that are affected produce broiler chickens for meat, and those flocks are culled and not moved to the market.
The National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods (NFRA) spoke about the HPAI egg crisis from the farm and production side during their recent podcast “Eggs: An Update on Consumer Demand & Retailer Strategies.” NFRA discussed the current egg landscape, the impact of the evolving avian flu, and what the recovery outlook entails, as well as the resources available to retailers about consumer demand and egg promotion.
While egg shortages may change how we celebrate, they don’t have to take the joy out of spring. With a little creativity and flexibility, your traditions can still bloom!
