United Egg Producers

For anyone in the food business, the past few years have made one thing clear: food safety concerns do not stay in one lane. What begins as an animal health issue can quickly become a consumer confidence issue, a reputation issue, a media issue and, eventually, a supply chain and business continuity issue.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, called HPAI or bird flu, is a good example. The egg industry has been dealing with the impact of HPAI for years, including a major outbreak in 2015 and the most recent outbreak that began in 2022. Since February 2022, the outbreak has affected 1,232 backyard and 1,053 commercial flocks across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, including 164 commercial layer and/or pullet sites representing more than 164.24 million laying hens and pullets. Wild bird migration in the spring and fall seasons has been a primary driver of new cases and HPAI spread, as well as poultry exposure to new strains of HPAI from dairy cattle.

The impact of HPAI has been devastating to the nation’s egg farmers and the egg supply chain that serves their customers and consumers. What has remained true, however, is that eggs are safe for consumption.

HPAI is a serious animal health challenge and takes an emotional toll on egg producers. It disrupts supply, pricing, logistics and planning – but it does not create a food safety risk. The core message is straightforward:  eggs are safe, according to USDA and CDC, and safeguards are in place so eggs from farms with bird flu detections are held and do not enter the shell egg market. 

As HPAI detections have grown, many voices have weighed in. Government agencies, activists, media, industry representatives, customers and consumers are all trying to provide their perspective on what is happening. Misinformation can move as quickly as accurate information, and sometimes faster. That is why consistency matters so much.

Protecting the Egg Safety Brand

For the egg industry, protecting the “egg safety brand” has meant staying focused on a few priorities:  maintaining consumer confidence, establishing trust, following the government’s lead and letting data drive the strategy. Reassuring customers and consumers about egg safety in HPAI must come from credible sources, clear facts and consistent messaging.

Reassuring customers and consumers about egg safety in HPAI must come from credible sources, clear facts and consistent messaging.

The encouraging news is that even in a time of HPAI volatility, consumers were still buying and consuming eggs. Even alongside outbreak-related headlines, demand remained steady to strong. Consumers were thinking about egg safety in the context of HPAI, but those concerns did not actively impact demand. Media coverage reinforced the message that eggs and meat are safe to eat, which contributed to consumer understanding and reduced concern.

At the same time, the industry was carefully monitoring consumer sentiment for any behavioral or attitude shifts. Consumer research found favorability toward eggs remained high at 82%, and confidence in the safety of eggs overall remained high at 76%, consistent with similar 2023 findings. 

For companies that produce, buy, serve or sell eggs, HPAI creates a responsibility to communicate clearly without overcomplicating the issue. The most useful messages around egg safety are ones that are practical: eggs in the commercial food supply are produced and sold under robust safeguards, eggs from farms with HPAI detections are held out of the shell egg market, and consumers should continue to follow proper handling and cooking guidance.

Preparing for What Comes Next

Looking ahead, HPAI continues to challenge the egg industry. New cases have occurred as recently as October 19, 2026, and the ever-present threat of detections as fall wild bird migrations begin is real. The conversations have expanded to include vaccines, biosecurity, dairy cattle testing, egg imports from other countries and long-term prevention strategies. 

USDA launched its five-pronged plan to respond to the ongoing HPAI outbreak in February 2025. It includes boosting biosecurity, supporting farmer disaster relief, cutting red tape, innovating in HPAI prevention and building temporary egg supplies. The egg industry’s response includes supporting biosecurity cost-sharing, ensuring accurate indemnity payments, promoting favorable regulation and driving a vaccine trial strategy.

For the broader food business, the lesson is bigger than eggs. In any food safety conversation, especially one tied to an emerging or evolving issue, trust is built before the crisis ever begins. As the situation unfolds, steady, aligned messaging that protects that trust and provides reassurance is essential. 

The egg industry has had to communicate through uncertainty while staying anchored in the same essential message: eggs are safe. Egg safety has remained in the HPAI conversation, but it is not defining it, thanks to consistent messaging that supports consumer confidence.

The future of HPAI is unknown. Whether the outbreak continues or wanes will be determined over time. In the meantime, America’s egg farmers are staying the course – protecting their flocks with strong biosecurity measures, encouraging and funding research into HPAI prevention, and engaging with customers and consumers about the benefits of eggs and the commitment of egg producers to provide safe, high-quality, nutritious eggs.