The U.S. has almost doubled imports of Brazilian eggs once used only for pet food and is considering relaxing regulations for eggs laid by chickens raised for meat, as President Donald Trump's administration seeks to bring down sky-high prices spiked by bird flu. - REUTERS
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00:00U.S. imports of Brazilian eggs, once only used for pet food, almost doubled in February.
00:07It's part of President Donald Trump's effort to bring down egg prices, which have spiked
00:11because of bird flu.
00:12The Trump administration is also considering relaxing regulations for eggs laid by chickens
00:17raised for meat.
00:19While none of these eggs would wind up on grocery shelves, they could be used in processed
00:23food such as cake mixes, ice cream or salad dressing.
00:27And some food safety experts warn that changing regulations could risk tainting these food
00:32products with harmful bacteria.
00:35Bird flu has wiped out nearly 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds since 2022.
00:41That led to a more than 50 percent surge in wholesale egg prices in February, though they've
00:46eased a bit in March.
00:48Last month, the administration announced a $1 billion plan to lower egg prices, which
00:53includes helping farmers prevent the spread of the virus and researching vaccine options.
00:58Apart from Brazil, the Trump administration is also promoting imports from Turkey and
01:02South Korea, countries that typically send few eggs to the U.S.
01:06Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a petition from the National
01:11Chicken Council to allow the sale of eggs laid by chickens raised only for meat.
01:16The council, which is made up of chicken producers, made a similar request in 2023, but the FDA
01:22rejected it, citing salmonella risk.
01:25A senior member of the council said the chicken industry hopes the FDA will now support the
01:29effort, as it aligns with Trump's goal of slashing regulations.