Perhaps in the history of the food industry, eggs have never been a hotter topic of conversation. Since 2022, the widespread outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has decimated egg-laying hen populations, causing a significant supply shortage. That shortage, coupled with ongoing food inflation, has had food retailers, foodservice operators and consumers concerned about egg supply, cost and even safety.
“There should be no doubt in consumers’ minds that US eggs remain as safe as they’ve always been, even while we are working to combat this highly pathogenic virus,” says Nate Hedtke, vice president of innovation and customer engagement for the American Egg Board which works with the FDA, USDA and Safe Quality Food Institute to ensure egg safety.
To reassure consumers, the AEB has developed resources — including guides on handling and storage — that retailers and foodservice operators can use to educate their customers on egg safety, explains Hedtke, who also discusses in the Q&A below today’s big question of what can be expected when it comes to egg prices and what it will take to stabilize the egg supply.
What are the biggest misconceptions consumers have about egg safety, and how can retailers and foodservice operators help address them?
The United States has the strongest avian influenza surveillance program in the world to ensure the food supply remains safe and will continue to coordinate rigorous surveillance reporting and control efforts. As part of the existing USDA avian influenza response plans, federal and state partners — as well as the egg industry — are responding quickly and decisively to these outbreaks. American egg farmers continue to be vigilant in keeping their flocks free from disease and assuring the safety of shell eggs and egg products they provide to their customers. Thoroughly cooked shell eggs and egg products, all of which by law are pasteurized, remain safe. The USDA and FDA say consumers can be confident in the safety of eggs.
What are some of the key initiatives or resources the American Egg Board has developed to support egg safety education?
Egg farmers are dedicated to producing safe, quality eggs and following state and federal laws regulating egg safety and the prevention of
foodborne illness. Shell eggs produced in the US are subject to food safety oversight from both the FDA and the USDA. Many US egg producers also follow voluntary industry food safety certification programs or customer-required egg safety programs, such as the Safe Quality Food certification.
Specifically to HPAI, we have developed landing pages for retailers and foodservice operators to use as resources. The pages answer FAQs and act as a library of resources including in-store signage for retailers and safe handling guide (in English and Spanish) for foodservice operators.
How can grocery stores effectively communicate best practices for egg handling and storage to their customers? In turn, how can foodservice operators convey to their patrons that eggs used in their menu items are safe?
We’ve developed a guide for how to safely store, handle and break eggs (also available in Spanish). This guide can be shared with shoppers to better inform them of how to best store and handle eggs on their own or to inform foodservice establishment guests of the protocols the operation they’re visiting is following.
Should the food industry — and consumers — anticipate ongoing fluctuations in egg prices and supply?
We are encouraged to see the recent drop in wholesale egg prices, including a more than 40% drop in the past two weeks. That’s good news, especially ahead of the spring holiday buying season when eggs are so important to people’s Easter and Passover celebrations.
While the sharp drop in wholesale prices is welcomed, it’s important to remember that we are not out of the woods yet. The entire egg production system remains strained, and it will take a sustained period with no additional HPAI detections on egg farms to stabilize and normalize supply.
Shoppers may not experience a price break yet, as retail prices often lag wholesale price changes by a few weeks. Similarly, we might see wholesale prices increase again as we get closer to the busy Easter and Passover buying season.
What role does the American Egg Board see technology or digital marketing playing in spreading awareness about egg safety and keeping the public informed about the state of the egg industry in both retail and foodservice settings?
We’re living in a digital age and are using the quick spread of information to our advantage to update our audience quickly as the HPAI situation is ever-changing.
We’re taking advantage of all mass-reach technologies at our disposal — such as our website and social media — to provide the most up-to-date information about this ongoing crisis. We are also in the midst of launching a national campaign to ensure all food professionals know where to go for bird flu information, resources and further support.
AEB’s mission is, and will always be, to support America’s egg farmers in providing safe and nutritious eggs for their customers and consumers and continuing to grow demand for eggs and egg products.
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