Turns out even the ‘greatest country in the world’ can face rejection, and it stings the same!
The United States of America has been rejected by Poland, Finland, and Denmark when the US proposed to have eggs imported from these countries amidst the bird flu outbreak and surging egg prices.
However, not everything is lost yet!
As reported by The Hill, South Korea and Turkey have stepped in as a second option to deliver eggs and that hopefully will help drop the high prices and cater to the shortage.
Importing the eggs!
US officials confirmed that hundreds of millions of eggs are to be imported to help ease the rising prices caused by a severe bird flu outbreak. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins made the announcement, stating that these imports would provide relief to the US egg market in the short term.
Surging prices!
Egg prices in the US have soared by more than 65% over the past year, with projections signaling a further increase of 41% in 2025. This surge has been primarily driven by a widespread avian flu outbreak that forced the culling of millions of chickens, significantly reducing the domestic egg supply.
To tackle this crisis, the US is looking beyond its borders for solutions.
Rollins told reporters at the White House, “We are talking in the hundreds of millions of eggs for the short term. It’s not insignificant, but it’s significant enough to help bring the prices down.” She added that the US is in talks with other countries to secure additional supplies, although she did not specify which nations are involved.
Rollins revealed that while Turkey and South Korea are the first countries to step up, with shipments already being arranged, she had recently spoken to representatives from several other countries that are expected to begin egg exports to the US shortly.
The egg-proof plan!
As per Rollins, the egg import aims to bolster egg supplies while US poultry farms recover from the bird flu epidemic. Additionally, the US government has announced a comprehensive $1bn plan to combat the bird flu and stabilize egg prices.
This plan includes $500m allocated for biosecurity measures, $100m for vaccine development, and $400m for financial relief to farmers impacted by the outbreak.
The USDA is also providing free consulting services to commercial egg farms to help them secure their facilities and prevent further outbreaks.
Bird Flu outbreak and eggs:
The bird flu outbreak, particularly the wave that began in 2022, has had a devastating impact on US poultry farms. More than 156 million birds have been killed, disrupting the supply chain and causing prices to climb. Since the outbreak began in 2022, 145 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds have been slaughtered to keep the virus from spreading. It should be noted that there are nearly 380 million egg-laying chickens and more than 9 billion broiler chickens in the U.S.
Safety precautions for consuming eggs amidst bird flu:Although you cannot get bird flu from eating properly cooked eggs or poultry, as the virus is killed by the cooking process, there are some safety measures to keep in mind, such as:
Cooking Kills the Virus: The avian influenza virus, which causes bird flu, is heat-sensitive and is destroyed when food is cooked to a safe internal temperature.
No Evidence of Transmission: There's no evidence that anyone has been infected with bird flu by eating properly cooked poultry or eggs, even in areas with outbreaks.
Safe Food Handling: It's important to practice safe food handling practices, such as washing hands thoroughly and preventing cross-contamination, when preparing raw poultry and eggs.
Pasteurization: Pasteurization, a heat treatment process, is also effective in killing the virus in milk and eggs.
Focus on Prevention: The primary focus should be on preventing the spread of bird flu through direct contact with infected birds or their bodily fluids, rather than worrying about foodborne transmission.
CDC and WHO Advice: Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) state that properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat.
Safe Internal Temperature: Ensure that poultry and eggs are cooked to a safe internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) to kill any potential viruses or bacteria.
Safe Handling: Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw poultry and eggs.
Prevent Cross-Contamination: Keep raw poultry and eggs separate from other foods to prevent cross-contamination.
Sanitize Surfaces: After cutting raw meat, wash cutting boards, knives, and countertops with hot, soapy water.