Changing diets in Asian countries and urbanization combined with rising incomes have led to an increase in consumption of eggs and poultry products over the past decade.
In China, egg consumption is projected to grow to 20 kg per person in 2030 from 15 kg per person annually in 1997-99. This is due to changing diets and urbanization, as well as opportunity for growth in consumption with increasing household refrigerator ownership.
In the UK, almost 11 billion eggs are consumed annually. According to the European Commission, new hen welfare legislation drove up the price of eggs for consumption when it took effect across the EU on January 1, 2102, as producers had to spend more to convert existing cages (Table 1). Prices as of January 2013 remained lower overall than in January 2012 (Figure 1).
Affected by high feed costs, however, the prices of eggs and egg products in many markets around the world have risen. In Morocco, for instance, where many consumers still buy from traditional markets although consumer preferences are becoming more sophisticated, production and consumption of eggs have fallen as input prices have risen. In 2012, Morocco produced 4.3 billion eggs, while per-capita consumption of eggs, including those from small-scale producers, was 152.
In the U.S., data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (USDA ERS) show per capita egg consumption remained virtually unchanged during the period from 2007-12, falling less than half an egg per person from 250.1 in 2007 to 249.7 in 2012, when at the same time red meat and poultry meat consumption fell 9.4 percent. But, rising costs, an aging population that consumes fewer calories and changing diet preferences will contribute to a projected decline in per capita consumption in the U.S. from the 2013 amount of 244.4 eggs to 240.9 eggs by 2022 (Table 2).
Low to zero market growth should be expected in the consumption of animal protein products in developed countries that already have a high meat and dairy intake, Dr. David Hughes, emeritus professor of food marketing, Imperial College, London, said at the International Egg Commission's meeting in Madrid, Spain. Hughes said that animal protein consumption has fallen since 2007's economic downturn, and it remains lower as consumers have less disposable income and prices are rising, such as in the U.S. (Figure 2). However, Hughes says this may create an opportunity for egg consumption to increase in the future because eggs are among the most economical sources of high-quality animal protein.
