Fast-food breakfast sandwich loyalists beware: It’s best not to put all your eggs in one basket. McDonald’s has cut breakfast service by an hour and a half, ending at 10:30 a.m. instead of noon at its Australian locations due to an egg shortage caused by bird flu.
“Like many other retailers, we are carefully managing our egg supply given the current industry challenges,” McDonald’s said in a statement. Facebook post“We are working hard with Australian farmers and suppliers to get things back to normal as soon as possible.”
Affectionately known as Macca’s across the International Date Line, this fast food chain has 970 locations in AustraliaBut it’s not just fast food fans who are affected by the shortage. Australian supermarket chain Coles Group Ltd. begins customer purchase restrictions up to two crates of eggs a day after highly contagious H7N3 avian influenza (a separate strain of H5N1, not yet found in Australia) was detected on five farms on the continent. Since the virus first began spreading in May, the flu has impacted 11 poultry farmsmainly egg farms.
In an attempt to stop the spread of the disease, which can be fatal to livestock including cows, poultry farms have quarantined their animals and carried out mass euthanasia. more than half a million chickens. About 450,000 eggs destroyed daily to keep the virus at bay. But while those numbers may sound big, industry experts say the most important meal of the day is not yet under threat.
“Consumers can rest assured that there are still more than 20 million hens being cared for by hundreds of egg farmers across Australia and they will continue to work hard to ensure eggs are on shelves,” said Rowan McMonnies, chief executive of industry group Australian Eggs. said last week.
What about American fast food?
Bird flu has also caused havoc in the United States, although fast food breakfasts are now safe. Between February 2022 and June of this year, bird flu killed 96 million backyard and commercial birds nationwide. Cal-Maine FoodsInc., the nation’s largest egg producer, killed 1.6 million laying hensnearly 4% of its poultry flock, and temporarily shut down operations in April after detecting avian influenza.
For most Americans, the looming pandemic won’t affect eating habits. U.S. health officials have tested milk sold in stores to check for traces of virusFinally, consumers are told that milk must be pasteurized before drinking. Hamburgers should also be cooked at temperatures between 145 and 160 degrees F. found safe for consumptionas well as cooked chicken and eggs.
While these staple foods pose no health risks, U.S. consumers are feeling the impact on their wallets as egg prices rose more than 15% to $2.99 for a dozen large grade A eggs from January to April, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics dataWhile mass euthanasia ensures the safety of poultry flocks, it also makes supplies precious, as replacing lost birds is time-consuming.
“You’re eliminating all of the basic egg production for up to three months at a time,” said Andrew Stevens, an agricultural economist at the University of Wisconsin. speak CBS Money Clock“You are paying for the delay time it takes to consolidate and rebuild production.”
While fast food menus in the United States are being affected by egg and livestock shortages, changes are starting to creep into the industry. Chick-fil-a is starting to move away from the “never use antibiotics” promise in March, instead adopting an industry standard of only using antibiotics if chickens need to be treated for illness. It follows in the footsteps of poultry giants Pilgrim’s Pride and Tyson Foodsas farmers try to keep their caged chickens healthy amid the ongoing pandemic.
As the industry struggles to convey a sense of stability, McDonald’s has assured customers that some of its menu items will never change.
“PS,” McDonald’s Facebook “Hash Browns are still available all day,” the post said.
