Egg Roll Service Absolutely Unavailable... Egg Shortage Hits Japanese Restaurants Due to AI

Egg Supply Emergency Due to Avian Influenza

Amid soaring egg prices in Japan due to the spread of avian influenza (AI) and other factors, some areas are reportedly experiencing egg scramble battles.

On the 13th, ANN, a broadcaster affiliated with TV Asahi in Japan, reported that due to the egg shortage, restaurants are reducing or completely removing menu items that use eggs.

According to the report, a food company that has been in business for 68 years is actively securing supplies by calling egg wholesalers daily. This company is known to use 30,000 eggs per day.

Some stores that need eggs are said to be engaging in scramble battles, even intercepting the contracted quantities of eggs from others.

[Image source=Pixabay]

Currently, egg prices in Japan are sharply rising due to inflation and AI. As of last month, the retail price of eggs in Japan was 259 yen for a pack of 10, which is about 80 yen higher than last year.

In response, the food service industry has taken measures such as suspending some menu items or raising prices. According to Bloomberg, McDonald's Japan decided not to release the 'Teritama Muffin,' which is usually launched every spring, this year. This menu item primarily contains eggs. McDonald's Japan stated that if egg supply disruptions continue, other menu items containing eggs may also be temporarily suspended.

Earlier, Seven-Eleven, one of Japan's leading convenience stores, also stopped selling some egg-containing products starting in January. The company has responded by replacing eggs in tuna sandwiches with vegetables or increasing the proportion of meat ingredients instead of eggs.

Meanwhile, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that AI, first confirmed in October last year, has spread to 25 prefectures and over 80 locations, leading to the culling of more than 15 million birds. This surpasses the previous worst AI outbreak in Japan, recorded from November 2020 to March 2021, which spread to 52 regions.