Seeing a barren egg section at your local grocery store? You’re not alone.
A combination of bird flu challenges and holiday meal demand are impacting egg supply in BC, and some customers are seeing empty shelves at grocery stores in the Vancouver area.
Amanda Brittain, director of communications and marketing with BC Egg Farmers, told Daily Hive the industry is bringing in eggs from other parts of Canada that are less impacted by the contagious virus to keep store shelves stocked.
“Eggs are an important staple, and everybody buys more at Christmas. I know I certainly do,” Brittain told Daily Hive in a phone interview. “But now that Christmas is behind us, the shortages should slowly decrease over the next couple of weeks.”
About 80% of BC’s egg farms are in the Fraser Valley next to Vancouver. So far, only eggs are seeing supply issues. Brittain hasn’t heard of any problems stocking chicken or turkey meat products.
BC poultry farms have been dealing with bird flu since 2022. It primarily impacts flocks in the fall and early winter here, which can spell problems for the busy cooking period over the holidays.
This year, bird flu has impacted laying hens more than any other type of bird, Brittain said. Experts are still trying to figure out why.
“We fully understand why people might be worried seeing an empty shelf,” Brittain said. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure they are in grocery stores when British Columbians want to get eggs for their family.”
Some shoppers in the Vancouver area shared photos of bare egg shelves with notes advising customers that bird flu was contributing to shortages.
NO EGGS at a Save On Foods here in BC Canada due to bird flu according to their sign in their fridge window. pic.twitter.com/AmkEuWxeCO
— Odessa Orlewicz (@OdessaOrlewicz) December 31, 2024
Odessa Orlewicz shared an image from a Save-On-Foods in Maple Ridge with a cardboard sign indicating there were no eggs due to bird flu.
Daily Hive called all three Save-On-Foods locations in Maple Ridge, and store staff said they had eggs available. A fourth location in Pitt Meadows told Daily Hive it was out of eggs but was expecting a shipment soon. A staff member said there were no cardboard signs in the egg area. The store’s head office has not replied to Daily Hive’s request for comment.
Another customer shared an image from a Safeway in Burnaby. That egg fridge displayed a typed note advising customers that bird flu was impacting egg availability.
Safeway in Burnaby today. 🙄🥚 pic.twitter.com/hD7R9cMfvd
— dyvrhansen (@dmrh52) December 31, 2024
The manager at Safeway’s Kingsway location declined to comment. A staff member at Safeway’s only other Burnaby location said they might run out of eggs due to holiday demand, but they hadn’t heard anything about bird flu.
Safeway’s parent company declined to comment for this story, instead referring Daily Hive to the Food Industry Association. That organization also declined to comment. It sent us to the American Egg Board. The US organization has not yet replied to a request for comment.
BC’s Ministry of Agriculture declined to comment, saying BC Egg Farmers was the best organization to speak with.
The pictures of bare egg shelves sparked a range of reactions on social media, from fear of the virus to some people claiming bird flu was a made-up government conspiracy. To anyone who believes bird flu to be a hoax, Brittain wanted to assure them it’s a genuine problem impacting BC bird flocks.
“I cannot tell you with enough emphasis that [bird flu] is very real,” she said. “Our farmers have been dealing with it for three years now.”
On top of bird flu impacting flocks in the agricultural sector, a BC girl recently became the first child in North America with a case of critical illness due to bird flu. The 13-year-old had to stay in intensive care for four weeks after getting sick in November. She needed assistance breathing and a special type of dialysis because her kidneys weren’t working properly. She’s moved out of the ICU but remains in hospital.
The girl’s virus most closely genetically matched a virus sample from wild geese in the Fraser Valley. It’s believed she became sick after her family adopted a pet dog that was ill — possibly from contact with wild birds. Her illness is not believed to be associated with farmed birds or poultry products.
Brittain encouraged customers who want to support farmers to continue buying BC eggs, chicken, and other items when they can.
“The egg shortage will get better. And if they can’t find their preferred egg [brand], try something else. All our farms are held to very high standards for animal welfare and food safety.”
Have you noticed a shortage of eggs at your local grocery store? Email us at [email protected].