Major supermarket places limit on eggs after bird flu outbreak spreads

A limit of two cartons per customer has been placed across all stores nationally except for Western Australia.

"We are working closely with all of our suppliers to ensure eggs remain available for our customers and we are providing support to the industry in responding to the Avian Flu cases in Victoria," a Coles spokesperson said.

The move comes after a farm in Victoria's southwest was confirmed to be the fifth poultry farm hit by the highly pathogenic H7N3 strain of bird flu on Friday, June 7.

Four of the infected properties are located in Meredith and Lethbridge, in the Golden Plains Shire and one is in the Corangamite Shire.

All the properties have been placed into quarantine to be cleaned, with all poultry at the farms to be culled, to contain the infection.

Industry group Australian Eggs released a statement to reassure consumers that "only a small part of the industry has been impacted" and hundreds of egg farms are still collecting, packing and shipping eggs around the country.

"These avian influenza incidents will cause some disruption to egg supply as retailers reorganise their supply but purchase limits or patchy supermarket shelves do not indicate a nation-wide shortage," Australian Eggs managing director Rowan McMonnies said.

"Purchase limits are double edged. If a retailer has been impacted by the [avian influenza] incidents then it might be necessary for them but they can send the wrong message to consumers about broader egg supply," Mr McMonnies said.

"Other egg farms are working hard to ensure over 18 million eggs continue to be available every day."

A spokesperson for Woolworths told ACM there has been no impact on their supermarkets at this stage.

There are currently no purchasing limits in place at ALDI.