Food
Eggs, an integral part of the banal breakfast menu, are a rich source of protein. Easy and hassle free to make, their demand has seen a phenomenal spike in the past couple of years on account of a burgeoning world population and their rising disposable income. Even the avian flu, which resulted in culling of millions of livestock worldwide, couldn’t hamper the market growth. Today, a wide variety of eggs are found on supermarket shelves. Not just that, discerning palates of demanding consumers have also spawned another market – that of egg products. Made from different components and blends of eggs, they are edible products ready for consumption.
Cage-free Eggs are All the Rage These Days
Reports reveal that around 2 billion eggs are produced in the world in a year. The method of production is, however, set to change. With growing awareness about the appalling living conditions of the captive egg-laying hens, particularly in developed countries, an outcry has ensued. This has led to a ban on conventional egg farming methods. Fast food giant McDonald, which is one of the biggest egg buyers in the world, pioneered efforts in this direction by announcing in 2015 that it would only use cage-free eggs in all of its US and Canadian restaurants. Other major fast food chains and a handful of multinational food companies followed suit too. This has generated an opportunity for egg producers in Asia and America to fulfill the demand-supply gap created on account of EU nations being unable to carry out the overhaul in logistics and processes involved swift enough.
China the Largest Producer-cum-Consumer of Eggs and Egg Products
China, which had pretty much been powering the global growth up until a while back, has been a leader in the global eggs and egg products market as well. Studies show that it produces around 36% of the 70% eggs produced together by Mexico, Japan, China, U.S., India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, and France. China also consumes around 40% of the global eggs. This is because eggs form a vital part of the average Chinese meal. The eggs are also used as additives and ingredients, nationwide.
