June 13, 2024

Australian supermarket egg purchase limits may trigger panic buying, experts warn

Experts have warned that new limits on egg purchases by Coles, a major Australian supermarket, could encourage panic buying, News.com.au reported.

Coles has restricted customers to buying two cartons of eggs due to supply chain issues caused by an avian flu outbreak at five farms in Victoria, Australia.

This new restriction has raised concerns among industry experts and academics that similar behaviours during the pandemic might recur.

Victorian Industry Minister Natalie Hutchins reassured the public about national egg supplies, cautioning against stockpiling. “We don't anticipate an egg shortage,” she said, adding that discussions around shortages might prompt unnecessary stockpiling. The limits have been imposed in all stores except those in Western Australia.

Woolworths and Aldi, two other major Australian supermarkets, have not implemented any purchasing limits. Only one of the affected farms supplies eggs to a small number of Woolworths stores. As of June 7, 2024, the highly infectious H7N3 and H7N9 strains of avian flu have been detected at five poultry farms in Victoria, leading to the potential culling of over half-a-million chickens.

Australian Eggs, a leading industry body, addressed the purchase limits, urging consumers not to panic. Australian Eggs' managing director Rowan McMonnies emphasised that the incidents will cause some disruption but do not indicate a nationwide shortage.

Dr Louise Grimmer, a retail expert at the University of Tasmania, warned that Coles' restrictions might promote themes of scarcity and fear of missing out. She noted that the restrictions could be premature, given the egg industry's assurance of continued supply.

-      News.com.au