En this Easter period, the egg is not celebrating. In boxes of six or twelve, it is becoming scarce on the shelves. And in chocolate form, under the Kinder brand, it has simply been eradicated. The consumer is on his toes. Against a backdrop of scarcity, the egg hunt is on.
Kinder egg lovers have been warned. No question of chewing them, at the risk of swallowing some unwanted salmonella. The manufacturer, the Italian Ferrero, made the bells ring. Its Belgian factory in Arlon has sold, in many countries, tons of potentially contaminated confectionery. Result: nearly 150 cases of salmonellosis detected in Europe.
Even though he tried to turn a deaf ear, in this crucial trading period, he had to comply. The shelves of supermarkets very stocked with Easter chocolate have been lightened by half. Gourmets, however, have plenty to enjoy at the artisan chocolate makers and have the choice of buying a chocolate chicken rather than an egg.
Conditioners rub their hands
The egg or the chicken? The question does not arise in front of the shelves of egg cartons. The offer is faltering. And for good reason. The rate of egg-laying has suddenly slowed in France, with the sudden acceleration of the avian flu epidemic. The H5N1 virus appeared at the end of November 2021 in a farm of 160,000 laying hens in the Nord department. Then he raged in the Southwest, plucking duck farms. Its resurgence, at the end of February in Vendée, and its flash distribution in Pays de la Loire gave goosebumps to the egg sector.
“ This region is the second largest producer of eggs, behind Brittany. It represents 16% of the total French volume. In addition, a hatchery which supplies 45% of French chicks was affected “, explains Philippe Juven, president of the National committee for the promotion of the egg (CNPO). Between massive slaughter of contaminated hens and pullets, affected hatchery and mandatory crawl space in the affected areas, the blow is hard. Especially since restarting the laying pump will take time. “ We estimate that egg production should fall by 9% in France in the first half of 2022 and by 12% in the second,” says Maxime Chaumet, general secretary of the CNPO. Without a hen, ten eggs to the dozen.
In this context of limited resources, the price of the egg is soaring. Since the beginning of the avian flu epidemic, it has almost doubled, to exceed the rating of 12 euros per hundred. Conditioners are rubbing their hands, now in a strong position to demand that large retailers pass on the soaring costs to shelf prices. Catering and industry will have to juggle to get supplies. Between shortage of eggs and sunflower oil, egg mayo, already offered on the brasserie menu at a prohibitive price, will become a gourmet dish. The same goes for poultry, which has become a luxury hen…