Eggs are costlier than ever earlier than, with some Individuals spending greater than a greenback an egg. These egg costs aren’t only a product of inflation, they’re additionally linked to an ongoing chook flu epidemic. However except for the value of eggs, how does the H5N1 epidemic have an effect on your breakfast? Is it suitable for eating eggs throughout this epidemic? And except for chook flu, is it wholesome to eat eggs within the first place? Right here’s every little thing it’s good to know.
What Is Chook Flu?
Chook flu, or avian influenza (H5N1), is a viral an infection that spreads primarily in birds. Chook flu outbreaks can have an effect on giant numbers of birds and different animals, and in some instances may even unfold to people.
In instances the place H5N1 spreads to people, it will probably trigger delicate to extreme respiratory signs and pink eye. Individuals who work with dairy cows, poultry, and waterfowl are essentially the most in danger, as infections unfold from individual to individual are extraordinarily uncommon.
The Present Chook Flu Epidemic
The present H5 chook flu outbreak started in March 2024. It has since affected over 166 million chickens, and 30 million birds have been culled within the first two months of 2025 alone1. Because of this, egg costs have greater than doubled because the outbreak started, with an all-time common excessive of $4.95 per dozen. The USDA predicts that costs might soar greater than 40 p.c in 20252, and Enterprise Insider argues that they could by no means settle again all the way down to pre-flu numbers3.
Whereas there was some speak of placing a cease to culling, authorities officers now say that the present “stamping out” coverage will stay the beneficial plan of action4. This coverage has been beneficial by the World Group for Animal Well being to cut back each unfold and animal struggling.
Within the quick time period, importing eggs from international locations like Turkey could assist fill the egg-shaped void in American grocery shops. Longer-term proposed coverage adjustments embrace the event of vaccinations for poultry, although there are issues that this might affect exports, as we noticed in France when authorities started vaccinating geese for chook flu.
It’s Not Simply Birds We Must Fear About
Opposite to its frequent names of “chook flu” or “avian flu,” H5N1 can infect people, with 70 reported instances of chook flu in individuals in the USA thus far. The pressure additionally reveals what the Los Angeles Instances has known as “a troubling means to leap to mammals5.”
In April 2024, farmers reported the primary ever instances of chook flu in dairy cattle. Since then, 985 dairy herds have been contaminated, 754 of that are in California. In March 2025, scientists recognized a genetic mutation in 4 dairy cow herds that makes the virus extra transmissible — and extra lethal. “It’s not a stretch to assume it might assist allow extra human infections,” says Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude’s Youngsters’s Analysis Hospital6.
The way to Eat Eggs Safely
So are you able to get chook flu from eggs? We all know that individuals can contract chook flu by coming into contact with contaminated livestock, however consuming contaminated eggs doesn’t appear to affect human well being. Thus far, there have been no confirmed instances of chook flu in people linked to consuming contaminated eggs7.
Chook flu apart, the CDC however recommends cooking eggs to an inside temperature of 165˚F8. The company says that that is one of the simplest ways to kill off micro organism and viruses, together with avian influenza A viruses.
That stated, based on Dave Asprey, Writer of Closely Meditated, cooking eggs to this temperature “normally isn’t a difficulty in case your eggs are high-quality and pasture-raised.”
And cooking eggs for too lengthy can really deliver out different unfavourable well being results. “Overcooking egg yolks will oxidize the ldl cholesterol and fats within the yolks which might result in irritation,” says Asprey. “I personally solely eat eggs with a runny yolk.”
Which Eggs Ought to You Eat?
As with many meals merchandise, not all eggs are created equal. Whereas caged eggs are on the trail to being eradicated from the American meals system in the meanwhile9, the variations between cage-free eggs, cage-free natural eggs, and really pastured eggs will be enormous. These variations aren’t simply in regards to the well being and way of life of the animals, but in addition in regards to the dietary content material of the eggs themselves.
For the easiest, search for natural, Licensed Humane eggs labeled “pasture-raised” or “free-range.”
In line with researchers at Penn State’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, really pastured eggs are extra flavorful — to not point out richer in omega-3 fatty acids and nutritional vitamins A and E10. For the easiest, search for natural, Licensed Humane eggs labeled “pasture-raised” or “free-range.”
Are Eggs Even Wholesome?
Chook flu apart, eggs have lengthy flip-flopped within the eyes of public opinion. We dutifully ate one a day; we ate three a day. We ate complete eggs or simply the whites or none in any respect, changing them with Egg Beaters or flax eggs. So what’s the reality — are eggs wholesome, or do eggs trigger excessive ldl cholesterol? Diet science and the FDA have lastly settled on a verdict: Eggs are good for you.
Previously, it was the hyperlink between eggs and ldl cholesterol that stirred up controversy. However since 2024 analysis in Cureus discovered that dietary ldl cholesterol doesn’t have a serious impact on blood levels of cholesterol11, the entire well being advantages of eggs can now proudly shine. And there are lots of them.
Important Vitamins in Eggs
A 2023 analysis overview in Vitamins discovered that eggs might enhance muscle protein synthesis, decrease fats mass, enhance satiety, and had a null impact on the danger of heart problems. In actual fact, a 2025 evaluation in Vitamins discovered that older adults who consumed between one and 6 eggs per week really confirmed a 29 p.c decrease price of demise by coronary heart illness12.
Eggs are wealthy in B nutritional vitamins, folate, and fat-soluble nutritional vitamins A, D, E, and Ok. They’re additionally one of many richest dietary sources of choline, a nutrient that impacts liver perform, mind improvement, and metabolism.
In fact, not everybody will reap the identical advantages of consuming eggs. In line with Asprey, widespread egg allergy symptoms can result in low-grade irritation in many individuals. “Check your self to see in the event you really feel higher with out eggs,” he suggests. Even in the event you do really feel OK with eggs, he notes that it’s a good suggestion to “take a break each occasionally.”
“I wouldn’t overdo them,” he says, “as a result of consuming too many could cause an egg sensitivity in some individuals.”
If You’re Taking a Hiatus on Eggs
“It isn’t mandatory to incorporate eggs in your weight loss program in the event you can’t discover them or in the event that they’re too costly.”
Dave Asprey, Writer of Closely Meditated
Lately, selecting top-quality eggs generally is a significantly tall order. Asprey notes that in the event you’ve bought the selection between a low-quality egg and no egg in any respect, it’s higher to err on the aspect of warning. “It isn’t mandatory to incorporate eggs in your weight loss program in the event you can’t discover them or in the event that they’re too costly,” he says.
When you’re avoiding eggs or simply searching for options, you’ll be able to substitute egg whites with aquafaba and complete eggs with flax eggs in baking. And take further care to incorporate different sources of key vitamins that you simply would possibly usually get from eggs in your weight loss program. The choline and B nutritional vitamins present in eggs can be present in grass-fed beef liver and wild-caught fish like salmon.
Lastly, if you do get your fingers on some top-quality eggs, deal with them effectively. Strive having fun with one or two gently poached on a mattress of black beans or slowly baked in an heirloom tomato for a scrumptious meal that can showcase the egg at its absolute best.
Sources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html
- https://apnews.com/article/record-egg-prices-usda-bird-flu-virus-92e9f5fbc4e0a792be484a4aee5b9c16
- https://www.businessinsider.com/egg-prices-expensive-avian-bird-flu-changing-tastes-cage-free-2025-1
- https://www.cbsnews.com/information/bird-flu-us-officials-walk-back-plans-to-stop-culling-poultry/
- https://www.latimes.com/surroundings/story/2024-04-14/nobody-saw-this-coming-california-dairies-scramble-to-guard-herds-against-bird-flu
- https://www.latimes.com/surroundings/story/2025-03-12/study-shows-widespread-h5n1-bird-flu-infection-in-cattle
- https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/7-bird-flu-questions-answered.h00-159774867.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/prevention/food-safety.html
- https://www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com/latest-news/our-news/2025/01/us-ahead-of-canada-in-cage-free-egg-transition
- https://www.psu.edu/information/agricultural-sciences/story/research-shows-eggs-pastured-chickens-may-be-more-nutritious
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11161868/
- https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/2/323
