Despite being a staple in Japanese cuisine, eggs are now off the menu across the nation amid a supply crunch caused by a bird flu outbreak.
This contagious disease has spread rapidly among birds in Japan these past few months. More than 17 million chickens had to be culled across Japan, which is a record for the island nation, per CNN.
Even the carcasses have caused problems, with 16 out of 26 prefectures affected by the outbreak reporting not having enough land to dispose of them properly earlier this month.
With roughly 9% of Japan’s egg-laying hens affected, the shortage of eggs has also led to prices skyrocketing by as much as 70%, per BBC News.
As The Dallas Express reported, egg prices in the United States have only just started to drop after reaching a record high of $4.82 for a dozen Grade A eggs in January.
The avian influenza epidemic has struck nations across the world since October 2021.
While the H5N1 virus has been around for over a century, the world is currently experiencing its worst outbreak on record.
“It originated amongst ducks in Europe and Asia, and spread to other birds,” explained Paul Digard, a professor of virology at the Roslin Institute at Edinburgh University, per BBC News.
Some countries have undertaken vaccination campaigns in response to the crisis, including China.
U.S. authorities have considered vaccination, as The Dallas Express previously reported, but the rollout has been delayed by several unresolved questions related to its impact on poultry exports and its overall feasibility.
In Japan, both businesses and consumers have adopted alternatives to eggs in order to cope with the rising prices.
Even the fast-food chain McDonald’s recently warned its Japanese customers that it might have to suspend the sale of its popular egg-topped Teritama burgers, per BBC News.
One egg alternative is tamagoyaki, a Japanese rolled omelet made from Alaskan pollack. It is fabricated by the Nissui Corporation, whose spokesperson Tetsuya Iida told the BBC that there has been a fivefold increase in shipments.
Another product called Ever Egg, a vegetable-based egg alternative made from carrots and cannellini beans, has also seen an uptick in interest.
Many Americans also had to turn to egg substitutes this past year. The sales of plant-based egg products surged by nearly 20%, per NPR.