Frozen eggs available in some markets but egg board says these do not meet standards

Some consumers prefer buying frozen eggs in public markets as the prices of fresh ones have gone up recently. 

At the Mega Q Mart in Quezon City, frozen eggs are being sold at P55 per kilo, according to a report by James Agustin on Unang Balita on Monday.

The eggs which are taken out of their shells are placed in a plastic bag which is kept in a freezer.

This costs much less than fresh eggs, which on Wednesday had the following prices at Mega Q Mart: P210 per tray for extra small eggs, P220 per tray for small; P227 for medium; P235 for large; P246 for extra large; and P252 for jumbo. One egg meanwhile is around P5, which is lower than the prices last week.

Buyers of frozen eggs however, said they prefer them as they are cheaper.

One said she will thaw the frozen eggs first, then add seasoning and use them in making torta.

Another buyer said since you will also have to crack a fresh egg, why not buy the frozen eggs which are already unshelled. He said he uses frozen eggs in cooking sarciado or soup.

A vendor said they sell at least 30 plastic bags of frozen eggs daily.

The frozen eggs are clean, he claims, because these are cracked at the farm.

Aside from frozen eggs, cracked eggs — still in shells — are also being sold at the wet market. Some buyers prefer them especially if they can cook them right away.

However, some consumers still prefer buying fresh eggs as they will not immediately cook them.

The Philippine Egg Board Association (PEBA) however discourages buying frozen eggs as these are not according to standards.

"Mahirap siya kasi kailangan nasa cold chain siya, either nasa chiller [o freezer]," PEBA president Irwin Ambal said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Monday.

(It's hard because these need to be kept in cold chain, either in a chiller [or freezer.]

Ambal said frozen eggs are also being sold in other places.

"Ang tawag namin sa Batangas diyan ay loret. Mayroong sobrang basag na hindi na puwedeng ibenta na nakalagay sa tray kaya ang ginagawa ng ibang poultry farmers ay binabasag nila tapos inilalagay sa plastic tapos nakalagay sa timba," he said.

(We call them 'loret' in Batangas. These are cracked eggs that could not be sold or placed on a tray. Some poultry farmers put the eggs together in a plastic bag, which in turn are placed in a pail.)

"May gumagamit niyan na bakeshop pero dini-discourage namin 'yan dahil hindi 'yan naaayon sa standards. Pero dala na rin sa kahirapan ng buhay maraming gumagamit niyan na industries pero karamihan ginagamit 'yan doon sa bakeries," Ambal added.

(There's a bakeshop that uses frozen eggs but we discourage that because these are not in accordance with standards. But due to the economic pinch, many industries use them, mostly bakeries.) —KG, GMA Integrated News