The demand for eggs has surged in recent times due to the avian flu outbreak, leading to a significant increase in prices. The USDA forecasts a 41.1% rise in prices by 2025, prompting popular chains like Waffle House and Denny’s to implement an additional charge for this essential ingredient.
Amid this “eggsistential crisis,” it raises questions about which fast-food establishments incorporate real eggs into their dishes and which opt for egg substitutes. Surprisingly, only a few chains use real, whole eggs in their offerings. Here are seven fast-food chains that primarily use real eggs:
Wendy’s: Committed to freshness, Wendy’s utilizes fresh-cracked Grade-A eggs in their breakfast sandwiches sourced through reputable U.S. suppliers audited by PAACO-certified inspectors. They achieved their goal of going 100% cage-free for their initial 400 breakfast locations by 2020.
Whataburger: Known for its Texas pride, Whataburger ensures quality by using 100% USDA Grade AA extra-large whole shell eggs in their breakfast menu items.
White Castle: One of the oldest fast-food chains, White Castle continues to crack fresh whole eggs for their breakfast offerings, even after introducing their all-day breakfast menu in 2015. They have set a target to transition to 100% cage-free eggs by 2025.
Jack in the Box: While some breakfast sandwiches at Jack in the Box feature on-site cracked eggs, others incorporate pre-packaged liquid egg mixtures. The company aims to shift to 100% cage-free eggs by 2025.
Tim Hortons: Starting in 2021, Tim Hortons replaced pre-cooked patties with freshly cracked Canada Grade A eggs for their dishes. However, only 3% of their eggs were cage-free as of 2023.
Panera: Although Panera no longer uses real eggs since 2023, having transitioned to a pre-mixed and pre-cooked egg product, they remain on this list. Previously, Panera had petitioned the FDA for egg quality standards.
These fast-food chains are taking steps towards sourcing better quality eggs and improving their menu offerings to meet consumer expectations.
Discovering what truly qualifies as an “egg,” one cannot help but scrutinize fast-food rivals for incorporating numerous additives in their “egg” products instead of opting for the simplicity of using just, well, eggs. Presently, Panera’s breakfast offerings feature sandwiches adorned with a folded or soufflé-style egg concocted from a liquid whole egg mixture, diverging from the traditional freshly cracked shell egg. However, to their merit, the processed egg blend at Panera boasts a relatively clean composition comprising solely whole eggs and a hint of citric acid for color preservation. It’s a small victory, indeed.
On a positive note, Panera emerges as a commendable player in the realm of ethical sourcing. They took a firm stance in pledging to exclusively utilize 100% cage-free eggs by the year 2020 and commendably achieved this objective by June 2021. Kudos to them for upholding their commitment to responsible sourcing practices.
Moving on to McDonald’s, a titan in the fast-food industry, the chain arguably scrapes by to secure a place on this list—though it might be questionable. Asserting on its website the usage of real eggs for all breakfast offerings, McDonald’s elaborates on the distinctive preparation methods employed for each sandwich. In essence, what this translates to is that only the revered Egg McMuffin is graced with a freshly cracked USDA Grade A egg, skillfully cooked within an ‘egg ring’ right on the premises. Conversely, the remaining breakfast items such as scrambled eggs, folded eggs, and the Sausage Burrito eggs derive from liquid egg amalgamations, often comprising more than just egg whites and yolks.
For further updates on fast-food happenings, visit https://www.cheapism.com/newsletter/. This insightful expose was initially featured on Cheapism.
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