In Asia, consumer awareness is growing, and food
safety and traceability are increasingly important.
Producers
must be
ready to
react to
changing
consumer
and
regulatory demands if they
are not to lose out.
— Dave Rettig
continent; this will be made up of a
large elderly population and a growing
number of a;uent people. This shift
in demographics will result in a higher
demand for eggs and egg products.
A new Asian trade agreement came
into force in January 2010, allowing tari;
free trading between China and the 10
member states of South East Asia and
Asia. Ernst believes that this will lead
to the creation of a trade block, where
goods are traded tari; free.
During the next 10 years we
will see a fusion of foods in Asia.
Ernst explained that there will be a
growing trend towards foods with
added health benefits, and foods
with a Western influence. Japan
is already being innovative with
food and packaging and, from past
experience, Ernst expects China to
follow this lead.
Consumer awareness in Asia is
growing rapidly, and already there is
an increasing demand for traceability.
Food safety is becoming an important
issue within this continent, and
consumers of the future will demand
safer egg products from producers.
North America
Rettig believes that the global
market is becoming increasingly
integrated - and inter-dependent.
The markets of
Latin America
needs new
legislation and
regulations,
and is
encouraging
the egg industry to work with
legislators to ensure that
policies are properly framed.
— Cesar de Anda
He told the IEC that the future for
the food ingredient sector in North
America involves creating more
functionality from egg products,
including binding and whipping
properties and nutritional benefits.
Rettig reiterated the messages
from van Loon; traceability,
sustainability and animal welfare are
all major issues for egg processors in
North America, and he expects them
to become even more prominent
during the coming 10 years.
The US is expected to
experience growth in its food
service industry during the next
decade, particularly in convenience
food markets. Food safety will
also become an even greater issue
during the coming years.
Like van Loon, Rettig explained
that in North America, the industry is
still unsure exactly how government
and the World Trade Organisation
will influence trade, but he urged
members to be ready to react to the
government and consumer trends,
saying that: “The correct reaction
creates winners; the incorrect
reaction creates losers”.
De Anda believes that the market
within Latin America will change
quite dramatically over the coming
10 years. Currently, 4-7% of the eggs
produced in Latin America go to
industry; by 2020 this may become
two out of every 12 eggs.
As many Latin American
companies provide food ingredients,
basic food service and exports are
growing. This will lead to the creation
of many new companies, o;ering
more products and at even more
competitive prices, creating a very
tough market environment in Latin
America. However, experience of
similar scenarios in other industries
suggests that after three to four
years of these tough market
conditions, Latin America will see the
consolidation of its egg processing
businesses.
De Anda explained that the
Latin American egg industry follows
the same trends as in Europe, but
approximately 5-10 years later.
Therefore, over the coming 10 years,
traceability, sustainability and animal
welfare are the issues that Latin
American countries will be facing.
In the near future, de Anda believes
that Latin America also needs new
policies, legislation and regulations
within the industry. He stressed how
important it is for people within the
egg industry to help politicians and
local governments to create these
policies, ensuring that the industry
benefits, producing better products
and at a higher quality.
De Anda told IEC members that
for businesses to be more profitable
in the future, they must add greater
value to their products. He urged
people to see eggs not just as a
commodity, but as a speciality
product, with excellent health
benefits, what he called: “a diamond
in our hands”. De Anda believes that,
in Latin America, the egg is only
now being discovered, and during
the coming years its real value and
full health potential will become
apparent. ◻
