Australia’s experiencing egg supply issues. Here's what you need to know

…Plus we share our favourite ways to cook egg-free.

egg

If you’ve been to a supermarket this week you may have noticed less eggs on the shelves than usual. Or you may have even seen signs restricting customers to just two cartons. But why?

Why are there egg restrictions? 

The current situation has been caused by an outbreak of avian influenza (aka bird flu) in Victoria, in conjunction with a typical seasonal fall of free-range egg production that occurs in winter. In a proactive response, retailers such as Coles have imposed customer limits of two egg cartons per person, to ensure that all their customers continue to have access to eggs.

A spokesperson for Coles said: “We have introduced a temporary limit of two egg cartons per customer in our national stores, excluding in-store Western Australia. We are working closely with all of our suppliers to ensure eggs remain available for our customers and we are providing support to the industry in responding to the avian flu cases in Victoria.”

Is there an egg shortage coming? 

While these restrictions may seem like a egg shortage is on its way, it seems the measures Coles is taking are precautionary to ensure everyone gets their fair share. 

A spokesperson for Australian Eggs said: “We know many Australians rely on eggs as a staple and it might be concerning to see signs of a shortage, but we want consumers to know that only a small part of the industry has been impacted by AI (avian influenza) and other egg farms are working hard to ensure over 18 million eggs continue to be available every day.”

So, no need to flip out. 

Our favourite egg-free recipes

Whether your fridge is currently eggless or you avoid eggs for whatever reason, we’ve got a few classic recipes that we’ve created egg-free versions of. 

Egg-free banana bread

Mashed banana, vegetable oil and buttermilk make this banana bread so moist and fluffy that you won’t even notice there’s no egg in the recipe. Plus, it’s super easy to prepare and bake, making mornings that little bit sweeter. 

Check out our egg-free banana coconut bread recipe

Egg-free meringue

It’s hard to believe it’s possible to make meringue without egg whites, but luckily those who can’t enjoy classic pav don’t have to miss out. Aquafaba, i.e. the liquid from a can of chickpeas, has similar properties to egg whites meaning it whips up pretty much the same! 

Egg-free pavlova recipe

Egg free pavlova

Egg-free pancakes

Eggs appear in most pancake recipes as they provide richness, moisture and, most importantly, fluffiness. However, just because you don’t have eggs doesn’t mean you have to have lifeless pancakes. To make our egg-free pancakes fluffy, we use bicarb and vinegar, which help the pancakes rise to fluffy perfection. 

Grab our egg-free pancake recipe

More egg-free recipes

• Egg-free mushroom and parmesan quiche
• Vegan lemon ‘meringue’ slice
• Egg-free ‘mayonnaise’   

Originally published as Australia’s experiencing egg supply issues. Here's what you need to know