Egg Supplies & Rationing

For the past several months, the United States poultry population has been hit hard by the Avian influenza. Egg producers have taken enormous losses in terms of both the size of their flocks and their income. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that as of April 2025, the disease has resulted in the loss of 30.6 million egg laying hens (caged, cage-free, and organic hens combined), in some cases decimating whole flocks on some farms. This massive reduction in the number of hens has resulted in several months of reduced egg supply for consumers. It has also led to soaring prices for eggs. In February, according to the Associated Press, a 12-dozen carton of eggs reached a record high of $4.75. To conserve their supply of eggs, some stores even rationed the poultry product so that they could more evenly distribute the supply among their shoppers. Inevitably, some stockpiling of supplies occurred as nothing prevented customers from going from shop to shop to buy eggs. However, the food is not self-stable or long lasting like canned goods, so there was only so much bulk buying of eggs a customer could do. Of late, egg supplies have increased and prices have started to come down somewhat as a result of a concerted effort by the USDA to combat the spread of the bird flu through measures such as increasing egg imports to the U.S. and additional funding for disease prevention. The lack of eggs and the introduction of rationing has echoes with the past.

On January 8th 1940, British food rationing began with foods such as butter, meat, and tea as part of the country’s effort to conserve resources during the Second World War. Eggs were later rationed from 1941 onwards with one egg per person per week. However, despite these limitations, individuals and families had ways to obtain extra eggs. If one was really industrious, the British government offered members of the public a poultry raising scheme. Consumers could forgo their egg ration in exchange for a set ration of chicken feed, which was organized through a specific ration book. Individuals could then raise laying hens in their garden to produce their own supply of fresh eggs. 

If an individual had an overabundant amount of eggs that needed to be preserved for a long time, individuals could keep them in isinglass. Isinglass is made from the swimming bladder of fish, traditionally sturgeon or cod. The fish is first dried, and then the swimming bladder is extracted. When rehydrated and made into a solution, it is applied to the shell of an egg and left to dry, sealing the porous shell and preserving the egg. The substance works as a form of collagen. Another traditional technique for long term preservation of eggs was to use waterglass, which is made out of a solution of sodium silicate. To preserve the eggs, a cook typically places the shell eggs in a glass jar, and the waterglass is poured over them. This solution acts in the same way as the isinglass in that it seals the shells of the eggs, preserving them for later use. 

(Aussiedogphotog via Wikimedia Commons, December 31, 2024, accessed April 20, 2025)

Although the British had reduced domestic egg supplies during WWII, they began receiving American food aid through the Lend-Lease program in 1941, providing home front families had access to powdered eggs. Much like shell eggs, powdered eggs were rationed. Each month, a person could obtain 1 packet of powdered egg which was equivalent to 12 eggs. This form of egg was particularly useful in baking, but it was used for dishes such as scrambled eggs. Because powdered eggs were a new ingredient to many, the British government provided advice and recipes on the radio and in newspapers to teach cooks effective ways to utilize the product. 

In addition to advocating for ways to make the best use of and stretch egg rations (shell and dried), the British government also offered recipes for desserts or “puddings”  that did not require eggs. Such recipes enabled home front consumers to indulge in something sweet at the end of their meal without having to dip into their precious egg ration. 

(WWII Dried Eggs from the United States, Reptonix via Wikimedia Commons, February 11, 2012)

Now that eggs have once again become valuable, sometimes rationed goods, consumers can draw on historical knowledge from the war to support their twenty-first century considerations. Namely, cooks can look back at wartime eggless recipes to provide them with fresh inspiration from the past on how to alter familiar foodways and move away from egg dependency.

References:

“Egg Market Overview”, USDA, accessed April 18, 2025, Egg Markets Overview – April 18, 2025

Josh Funk and Josh Boak, “Egg Prices Could Jump 41% This Year, USDA Says, As Trump’s Bird Flu Plan is Unveiled”, The Associated Press, February 26, 2025, accessed April 20, 2025, Egg prices could jump 41% this year, USDA says, as Trump’s bird flu plan is unveiled | AP News
“USDA Update on Progress of Five-Pronged Strategy to Combat Avian Flu and Lower Egg Prices”, USDA, March 20, 20025, accessed April 20, 2025, USDA Update on Progress of Five-Pronged Strategy to Combat Avian Flu and Lower Egg Prices | Home

Mared McAleavey, “Food Rationing During the Second World War”, Museum of Wales, accessed April 20, 2025, Food Rationing during World War Two

MAF 102.2 – “The Kitchen Front Scripts”, December 20, 1945, The National Archives, UK.