Hungary hits top five for eggs

Hungary is now among the top five egg-consuming countries in the world, with an annual per capita consumption of 300 eggs.

The Hungarian Poultry Council reported these figures on World Egg Day, as Hungary again hosted the Balaton International Egg Festival.

Supermarkets in Hungary sell 1.2 billion eggs per year, with one fifth of them imported.

There are around 15 million hens in the country, of which 50% are used for breeding. Hungarian farms produce about 2.95 billion eggs a year, generating a revenue of Ft25 billion (US$118 million).

Egg consumption per capita per annum varies from country to country (for example in 2002, Mexico = 321, USA = 255, France = 248, Portugal = 186, India = 40).

The International Egg Commission established World Egg Day for egg associations, companies, retailers and egg industries around the world to celebrate the 'natural nutrition, versatility, convenience, economy and health aspects of egg products'.

Nutrition experts believe that global consumption of eggs is growing because the myth about eggs' high cholesterol level has been debunked.

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Editor WorldPoultry