Woolworths introduces purchase limit on eggs amid bird flu outbreak

Warning over price of eggs after bird flu outbreak

Woolworths has become the latest supermarket to introduce a purchase limit on eggs in the wake of a nationwide shortage due to a widening bird flu outbreak.

The supermarket giant is experiencing a delay in stock from an egg supplier due to the viral outbreak in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

"As a precaution to help manage this stock delay, we're introducing a two-pack purchase limit on eggs in NSW, ACT and Victoria," a Woolworths spokesperson said.

Woolworths has become the latest supermarket to introduce a limit on eggs.

"Right now, the majority of customers are only buying one carton of eggs at a time, and there's no reason that should change.

"We encourage shoppers to be mindful of others and continue to only buy what they normally would."

The limit came into effect today, weeks after Coles introduced the same two-carton per customer limit in all stores except in Western Australia.

Aldi remains unaffected and does not have any purchase limits.

The changes come after avian influenza was detected today at an egg farm in Canberra, forcing it and an adjoining packing shed to temporarily close and go into quarantine.

Two cases of the bird flu have also been detected at poultry farms in the Greater Sydney Basin in New South Wales and eight cases in Meredith and Terang area in Victoria.

New South Wales outbreak is not affected by Victoria's.

Australia's strains of the virus are not the same as the H5N1 strain that is causing concern globally, authorities have confirmed.

As a result of major population deaths from the highly fatal and contagious bird flu, there has been a nationwide shortage of eggs.