McDonald’s in Australia is reducing breakfast service hours because of an egg supply shortage caused by a bird flu outbreak.
The fast food chain announced it will stop taking breakfast orders at 10:30 am instead of the usual midday.
The company cited “current industry challenges” in securing eggs as the reason for the change. “We are working hard with our Aussie farmers and suppliers to return this back to normal as soon as possible. So, from Tuesday July 2nd, for a breakfast that really hits the spot, make sure you check the clock,” McDonald’s Australia said in a statement on Facebook.
Since May, Australian officials have reported H7 avian influenza cases at 11 poultry farms nationwide. Authorities have ordered the euthanasia of over one million birds in Victoria, where the outbreak started, and hundreds of thousands more in New South Wales.
The outbreak has impacted about 10 percent of Australia’s 20 million egg-laying hens. This has caused local disruptions in egg supplies for retail, hospitality, and manufacturing sectors.
Officials have urged consumers to avoid stockpiling eggs, and the country’s two largest supermarket chains have limited egg purchases to two cartons per customer in most stores.
Rowan McMonnies, managing director of Australian Eggs, reassured consumers that supplies should remain stable.
“Consumers can be assured there’s still over 20 million hens under the care of hundreds of egg farmers across Australia that will continue to work hard to ensure there’s eggs on shelves,” McMonnies said.