Why Are Large Eggs Cheaper? Here's the Explanation

Have you ever wondered why large chicken eggs are sometimes priced cheaper than smaller ones? This phenomenon often causes confusion among consumers, but the answer lies not in nutritional quality, but in market mechanisms and public consumption patterns.

Professor Niken Ulupi, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Animal Science at IPB University, revealed that this price phenomenon is closely linked to the egg sales system in Indonesia, which predominantly uses kilograms (kg). In this system, the number of eggs per kilogram becomes a determining factor for buyer interest.

“The majority of chicken egg consumers in society are from the middle-to-lower economic groups. They want smaller eggs so that one kilogram can contain 16 eggs or more. This is why large eggs are less in demand, making their prices relatively cheaper,” explained Prof Niken.

Despite the price difference, Prof Niken stressed that size does not determine quality or food safety. As long as the hens are raised with good management and given quality feed, both large and small eggs have the same safety value for consumption.

Besides size, another physical factor often noticed by the public is the colour of the shell. The variation in colour from brown to pure white is influenced by the genetic strain of the hen and the availability of pigments in its feed.

To ensure consumers get the best product, Prof Niken shared some practical tips for buying eggs at markets or supermarkets. She also reminded that the freshness of eggs is greatly affected by storage duration. Freshly laid eggs have much better quality compared to those stored for a long time at room temperature.

“Eggs that are safe for consumption are those produced by healthy hens, are freshly laid, and are processed correctly and healthily,” she concluded.