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The market for eggs was now bigger than at any point in the past 30 years, said the British Egg Industry Council

Shoppers’ love of eggs shows no sign of slowing down, with sales continuing to soar during the past year.

Volume sales of fresh eggs rose by 4% in the year to 14 June [Kantar]. This represented an increase of 260 million eggs to 6.5 billion, said the British Egg Industry Council.

The market for eggs was now bigger than at any point in the past 30 years, said BEIC chairman Andrew Joret. He cited a change in FSA advice in 2016 as a key driver of the upturn.

The change in advice followed a report by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food report on eggs, published in January 2016. It concluded all eggs were ‘low risk’ with British Lion-stamped eggs ‘very low risk’ – meaning they could be eaten runny by pregnant women, babies and the elderly.

“The latest figures make great reading for retailers and are no surprise as eggs offer a completely unique, natural meal solution that is healthy, versatile, easy to cook and cost-effective,” Joret said.

“Whether young or old, eggs are the perfect choice to fuel busy modern lifestyles, suiting demand for healthier options and the rise of flexitarianism, and consumers are waking up to that. Retailers can make the most of this opportunity to target pregnant women, parents of small children, and the elderly by highlighting the Lion and the new advice clearly on pack and in store.”