New Bill Allows Warmer Storage for Surplus Hatching Eggs Destined for Processing Plants

This bill, the "Lowering Egg Prices Act of 2025," tweaks the rules for a specific type of egg: surplus broiler hatching eggs. These are fertilized eggs intended to become meat chickens (broilers), but sometimes hatcheries have more than they need. The bill exempts these surplus eggs, when sold to commercial "egg breakers" (facilities that turn eggs into liquid products for food manufacturing), from certain existing federal storage regulations (specifically, 21 CFR 118.4(e)). Its main goal is to make it easier to repurpose these surplus eggs instead of letting them go to waste.

From Hatchery Surplus to Liquid Gold?

So, what's changing on the ground? Currently, regulations might require these eggs to be kept cooler than ideal for potential hatching. This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, working with the Secretary of Agriculture, to rewrite the rules within 180 days. The new rules must allow these surplus broiler hatching eggs to be held at temperatures and for durations "compatible with chick hatching" before they head off to an egg breaker. Think of it as creating a specific pathway for eggs that weren't needed for hatching chicks to instead become ingredients in things like cake mixes, mayonnaise, or pasta, which often use liquid egg products.

Warm Eggs, Cool Prices? The Food Safety Question

The idea is that using this surplus supply could increase the volume of eggs available for processing, potentially nudging down costs for food manufacturers and maybe, eventually, for consumers buying products made with eggs. It also gives broiler hatcheries a way to sell eggs they couldn't use. However, the key change involves holding temperatures. The regulation being modified likely relates to controlling bacteria like Salmonella, which thrives in warmer conditions. Allowing these eggs to be held at warmer, hatching-compatible temperatures before processing raises a food safety question. The effectiveness of this bill hinges on whether the new rules, mandated by Section 2, can strike the right balance – keeping the eggs viable for breaking without increasing health risks down the line.

The Bottom Line for Your Basket

While titled the "Lowering Egg Prices Act," the immediate impact isn't necessarily cheaper cartons of eggs at the store, as this deals with eggs used for processing, not table eggs. It's more about efficiency in the food supply chain and potentially impacting the cost of processed foods containing egg products. The practical effect depends heavily on the specifics of the revised regulations concerning temperature and holding times, balancing the goal of reducing waste and cost against the need to maintain food safety standards for ingredients used throughout the food industry.