Fears are rising that shoppers may soon be scrambling for eggs after millions of birds have been culled due to the bird flu crisis.
Sainsbury's and Aldi have highlighted the issue after customers reported empty shelves, and a sign in a Sainsbury’s stated: ‘Can’t find the eggs you want? We’re dealing with supplier issues right now. We’re sorry for any hassle this causes.’ Pub chain Wetherspoons is also thought to be running short of the breakfast stable.
There is concern that stores may be forced to ration eggs, although sales are currently allowed as normal. Asda has rationed purchases of its budget lines after items sold out, and earlier this year, supermarkets limited sales of sunflower oil after the Ukrainian War limited supplies. During the pandemic, supermarkets rationed eggs and flour.
Read more: Turkey could be off the table this Christmas as millions are culled due to bird flu outbreak
The bird flu epidemic has led to a mass cull of about 48million chickens around the country, a mix of birds reared for the table and others that were producing free range eggs. It became a legal requirement yesterday to keep captive birds and poultry indoors under cover and follow strict biosecurity rules, regardless of the size of the flock.
The British Free Range Egg Producers Association said it had warned of the shortages months ago. A spokesperson told Mailonline : "We warned ten months ago that producers would pause or halt production if they weren’t paid a fair price for their product, and that the knock-on effect would be fewer hens and fewer eggs."
The British Egg Industry Council also said: "Egg supply is fairly tight at present, however, availability does naturally fluctuate in terms of supply and demand." and Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘Retailers are experts at managing supply chains and will continue to work hard to ensure minimal impact to customers despite ongoing supply chain pressures.’
The food and farming ministry, Defra, has said that there was no ‘immediate threat’ to the food supply chain, including eggs.
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