April 3, 2006

 

More consumers favour specialty eggs

 

 

Consumers going down the shopping aisle are baulking less at the US$1 premium they pay for specialty eggs. The number of specialty eggs sold more than doubled from 480 million in 1999 to more than 1.08 billion last year, according to market researcher AC Nielsen.

 

Specialty eggs now account for 5 percent of the volume of fresh egg sales and 11 percent of the US$3 billion US egg market, meaning that one out of ten eggs sold in the US is a specialty egg.

 

While the average American used to eat six eggs a week in 1970, this figure has now fallen to roughly 4.5 eggs a week, mainly due to cholesterol concerns.

 

However, egg consumption has experienced a rebound as research showed that eggs could be part of a heart-healthy diet and that a person having an egg for breakfast would tend to have a lighter lunch.

 

More recently, popular high-protein diets have boosted egg sales, according to the Egg Nutrition Center.

 

Specialty eggs have given egg company Eggland's Best Inc double digits growths for nine straight years, thanks in part to heavy advertising touting the dietary benefits of such eggs.

 

Retail revenues from Eggland's eggs--which sell at a premium of up to US$1 a dozen over regular eggs--totaled about US$200 million last year.

 

Reasons for Eggland's premium price include higher costs for feed, care of the hens and strict quality control. About 250,000 eggs are rejected each day for defects in shell quality and other factors, said Bart Slaugh, director of quality assurance.

 

These eggs even get endorsements from vegetarians who like them because they do not involve killing animals. The American Vegetarian Association has certified Eggland's products as meeting its standards.

 

The company said its eggs have 25 percent less saturated fat, 15 percent less cholesterol and several times more vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids compared to other eggs. Both vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease.

 

Normal feed for laying hens generally includes up to 8 percent animal fat, bone or other byproducts, according to agriculture scientists. Eggland's feed consists of a vegetarian diet of grains, low-fat canola oil and supplements including rice bran, alfalfa meal, kelp and vitamin E.