An omelette made from fish? No eggs on menu as Japan fights bird flu crisis

As Japan battles the worst bird flu ever, the country has been forced to replace eggs with other available items on the food menu.

The country is battling avian influenza's worst outbreak which has led to the culling of millions of chickens and eventually a huge shortage of eggs, soaring prices of egg-based dishes. Long story short, eggs have become a luxury food item on Japan's menu.

The shortage of eggs is a huge problem as they are a staple in Japanese cuisine, varying from egg rolls to omurice as well as soft-boiled yolks on ramen.

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is an infectious disease which spread from wild birds and poultry. The flu has been present in the world from around for a century.

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However, the world is seeing its worst-ever outbreak due to mutations in the virus, claim scientists.

Amongst various countries, Japan has been the worst hit. The country was forced to cull around 17 million chickens, which can also be summarised as nine per cent of egg-laying hens.

In the past year, there has been a 70 per cent increase in the prices of wholesale eggs, as the data shared by a local egg seller.

One kilo of medium-size eggs costs around ¥350 ($2.62), stated JA. Z-Tamago, which is a unit of the National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations.

The steep increase in price has left consumers shocked and has forced restaurants to strike egg-based dishes off the menus.

Last month, McDonald's outlet in Japan had to warn diners it may suspend the sale of popular Teritama burgers during peak periods. Teritama is a portmanteau made from teriyaki sauce and tamago or eggs in Japanese.

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Even though McDonald's had diversified its egg sources so that its regular offerings are not impacted, it was "watching the situation carefully", said spokesperson Jonathan Kushner.

The problem is that the supply of eggs is unstable in the country. "It is hard to predict what the situations will be like in the summer and the fall," he stated.

The 7-Eleven convenience stores in Japan have also suspended the sale of around 15 items from February. In addition, the recipes of salads and sandwiches have been tweaked by stores around the country, to cut down the use of eggs.

Consumers have also been forced to spend more on egg-based products. Food company Kewpie, which is famous for its mayonnaise made from egg yolks, has increased its prices by around 21 per cent this month.

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