The Iran war is driving substantial cost increases across the egg products sector, the British Egg Processors Association has warned.
With no sign of the conflict ending, the association said the war would put further pressure on manufacturers, foodservice operators and retailers already managing volatile supply chains.
Three critical cost areas – energy, fuel and packaging – have seen sharp inflation, while at the same time there had been challenges in sourcing raw materials, BEPA warned.
The association has called for dialogue across the supply chain to ensure stability and transparency, and for the government to recognise the cumulative impact of global conflicts on UK food production.
“The conflict in Iran is having a clear and immediate impact on our members’ cost base,” said BEPA chair Elwyn Griffiths. “Energy, fuel and packaging are all seeing significant inflation, and these are not optional inputs, they are fundamental to producing safe, high‑quality egg products.
“Our members have worked hard to absorb as much of this pressure as possible, but the scale of these increases is becoming unsustainable.”
Processing egg products is energy‑intensive but energy market volatility has caused pasteurisation, drying and refrigeration prices to soar.
As fuel costs have surged, shipping routes have also been diverted and global freight capacity has tightened, which has affected both imported inputs and domestic distribution, and led to operators facing higher transport charges across the board, it said.
Packaging materials, particularly plastics and cardboard, have seen further inflation due to pressure on petrochemical supply chains and rising manufacturing costs.
“Egg products are essential ingredients for thousands of food manufacturers and caterers,” Griffiths added. “We need a co-ordinated approach to maintain resilience and protect the long‑term viability of the sector.”
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