Find out why egg crackers are multiplying in the region.
While in France, egg consumption per capita reached a record in 2024, with 226 eggs per personthe entire sector benefits. We see in the territory multiplying egg crates. But who is it about? We’ll explain it to you.
The French and eggs
Every French consumes on average more than four eggs per weekall forms combined, whether at home or outside, in the form of eggs, shells or egg products. In 2024, this overall consumption reached 226 eggs per capita in France, compared to a global average of around 182 eggs per capita in 2023.
In this total, egg products represent 35% of consumptionshell eggs used in restaurants and other uses outside the home 19%, and household purchases in stores 45%.
And this craze for eggs impacts the entire industry. In 2024, French egg production reached almost 15.4 billion units. France has thus confirmed its position as the leading egg producer within the European Union.
Egg breakers
Egg products therefore represent more than a third of egg consumption in France. And these entities (companies, local authorities) which need eggs in large quantities are now using astonishing help: egg crates.
So, eggs collected from farms are broken mechanically. The whites and yolks are then separated, filtered, pasteurized, then kept cold at +2°C before shipping. The shells, for their part, can be used in agriculture, particularly as a soil conditioner.
The first egg cracker in Paca
Since 2022, the EGalim law has required collective catering to integrate a greater share of local products. To meet this requirement, it is necessary to rely on local structures.
In the Hautes-Alpes, laying hen breeders had the idea of creating the first egg cracker in the Paca region.
Formerly forced to sell their eggs (too large, the shell poorly closed) at low prices to manufacturers, these breeders finally chose to invest more than a million euros in an ultra-modern junkyard.
From now on, as reported by a France 3 report, between 20 and 30,000 eggs come out of the cracker every week. Packaged in these 2, 5 or 10 L pocketsthey are delivered to professionals within a few days.
A delivery which represents a huge saving of time, for these restorers of a school canteen who, as they explain in the report, would have had to break more than 1500 eggs for the omelette.
Thanks to egg breakers, the entire chain, from the chicken breeder to the consumer, benefits from local, good quality products. More flavors and less waste!
Furthermore, the risk of bacterial contamination when breaking eggs is high, especially since the volumes used are large. Work with pasteurized eggs therefore not only saves considerable time, but also improves food quality and safety.
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Cooking editor
Between an epicurean desire to enjoy the pleasures of the plate and a real concern to eat better on a daily basis, Arnaud devotes his time and his pen to guiding his readers…
