Fast-food breakfast sandwich enthusiasts, take note: it might be wise not to rely solely on one option. McDonald’s has shortened its breakfast service by an hour and a half, now ending at 10:30 a.m. instead of midday, across its Australian locations due to an egg shortage caused by avian flu.
“Like many retailers, we are carefully managing the supply of eggs due to current industry challenges,” McDonald’s stated in a Facebook post. “We are working hard with our Aussie farmers and suppliers to return to normal as soon as possible.”
Known as Macca’s in Australia, the fast-food chain operates 970 locations in the country. The egg shortage has affected more than just fast-food fans. Australian supermarket chain Coles Group has limited customers to two cartons of eggs per day after the highly contagious avian flu H7N3 (a different strain from the H5N1 flu, which has not been found in Australia) was detected at five farms. Since the virus began spreading in May, it has affected 11 poultry facilities, primarily egg farms.
To contain the spread of the disease, which can be fatal to livestock, poultry farms have quarantined animals and carried out mass euthanasia of over half a million chickens. Approximately 450,000 eggs are destroyed daily to control the virus. Despite these large numbers, industry experts assure that breakfast isn’t under threat yet.
“Consumers can be assured there are still over 20 million hens under the care of hundreds of egg farmers across Australia working hard to ensure there are eggs on shelves,” Rowan McMonnies, managing director of industry group Australian Eggs, said last week.
Regarding fast food in the U.S., the avian flu has caused significant damage, though fast-food breakfasts remain unaffected for now. From February 2022 to June, bird flu killed 96 million backyard and commercial birds nationwide. Cal-Maine Foods, the largest U.S. egg producer, culled 1.6 million laying hens, nearly 4% of its flock, and temporarily halted operations in April after detecting bird flu.
For most Americans, the epidemic won’t alter eating habits. U.S. health officials tested store-bought milk for virus traces, ultimately advising that milk should be pasteurized. Hamburgers cooked between 145 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as cooked chicken and eggs, were deemed safe to consume.
Although these staple foods remain safe, U.S. consumers are feeling the financial impact as egg prices rose over 15% to $2.99 for a dozen large Grade A eggs from January to April, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. While mass euthanasia ensures flock safety, it also makes supply scarce, as replacing lost birds is time-consuming.
“You’re taking out all the baseline egg production for up to three months at a time,” Andrew Stevens, an agricultural economist at the University of Wisconsin, told CBS MoneyWatch. “You’re paying for that lag time it takes to shore up and build back up production.”
While egg and livestock shortages have affected fast-food menus in the U.S., changes are emerging in the industry. In March, Chick-fil-A moved away from its “no antibiotics ever” promise, adopting the industry standard of using antibiotics only when chickens need treatment. This follows the lead of poultry giants Pilgrim’s Pride and Tyson Foods, as farmers strive to maintain the health of their closely packed chickens amid rampant disease.
Amid industry efforts to project stability, McDonald’s reassured customers that some menu items remain unchanged.
“PS,” McDonald’s Facebook post noted. “Hash Browns are still available all day.”
