What’s really worth paying for in an egg?
In the egg market, buyers face a dilemma over what to pay extra for. Premium eggs can cost up to five times the price of ordinary eggs, prompting questions about what consumers are really paying for. Mumbai-based Abhiruchi Chand, whose family consumes about 60 eggs weekly, prioritizes protein in their egg choice. She once bought premium eggs from Nature's Basket but now gets free-range eggs from her neighbor, spending around ₹3,000 monthly on eggs.
Costume designer Shruti Wadetiwar finds the industry's terminology confusing, as it is hard to discern the benefits of claims like orange yolks, high protein, omega-3, and vitamin D3. The rise in India's protein consciousness, increasing purchasing power, and the opportunity to turn a commodity into a brand have fueled this phenomenon.
In urban markets, premium or value-added eggs make up less than 3% of the market, but their sales are growing at over 15% annually. Premium eggs can cost up to ₹30, and the high price is due to increased feed costs, changing housing systems for hens, and special feed for nutrition-rich eggs. Even the color of the eggshell and yolk can be misleading, as brown shells and orange yolks do not necessarily indicate higher nutritional value.
The egg remains a wholesome, naturally packaged food, but consumers must scrutinize labels to understand what they are paying for.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
