fazTimes media: New Delhi. Despite eating more eggs than its South Asian neighbors, a new study reveals that India still needs to catch up to global averages. Eggs are quickly becoming a standard in many Indian homes. Based on the weight of the shells, Indians ate an average of 4.6 kilograms of eggs per person in 2022, according to a detailed analysis of statistics released by NDTV. Pakistan (4.1 kg), Bangladesh (3.6 kg), Sri Lanka (3.7 kg), Nepal (2 kg), and India are all placed lower than India. The numbers come from eating trends found in the trustworthy open-access database Our World in Data. This database compares and contrasts information on how people around the world eat.

This change in egg consumption goes against area trends, which is intriguing to note. Historical records show that between 1961 and 1976, each person in India ate more eggs than anyone in Pakistan. During the next few decades, however, Pakistan took the lead and held it until India passed it in 2018. Since then, the difference has only grown.

In a changing economic climate, changes in diet

Experts think that India's growing desire for eggs is caused by several interconnected factors, such as rising household incomes, more people living in cities, and more people learning about good nutrition. As living standards rise and people get access to more food sources, protein-rich foods like eggs have become more common in Indian meals.

Nutritionist Dr. Anjali Menon from Delhi says that when people's incomes go up, they can buy a wider range of foods. "The perception of eggs as an inexpensive and practical source of nutrition has also been influenced by government and non-governmental organization protein awareness campaigns.. Eggs are very popular in the school lunch programs, the fitness groups, and the street food culture. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are two states where people eat more eggs per person than the national average.

The world eats more food than ever before.

Even though the trend is going up, India only eats 4.6 kg per person, which is less than half of the world average of 10.4 kg per person. According to statistics from BBC News, people in China, Mexico, and Japan eat a lot more eggs than people in India. On average, each person in these countries eats more than 15 to 20 kilograms of eggs each year.

The big difference between these numbers shows both economic imbalance and cultural differences. In many rural parts of India, people eat mostly vegetarian food, and millions of people still worry about how to buy it. Some families with less money can't buy eggs, even though they are cheaper than meat.

How people eat in cities and rural areas

The Ministry of Statistics (2023–24) gives us more information about how much people in India spend on food each month. It shows that people in rural areas spend about Rs 1,939, and people in cities spend about Rs 2,776. Instead of 40% in cities, food makes up almost 47% of monthly consumption in rural places.

It's interesting to see that soft drinks, chips, and ready-to-eat foods make up 11.1% of monthly food costs for urban families but 9.8% for rural households. This means that ultra-processed and packaged foods are also taking up a lot of people's money, even though eggs are becoming more popular.

A public health researcher named Suresh Rao says that "this dual trend indicates a nutrition paradox." "Despite growing awareness of nutritious foods like eggs, people are also consuming more high-sodium, low-nutrient snacks, frequently as a result of aggressive marketing."

Indian Politics and Culture: Eggs in the Conversation

In India, religious and cultural beliefs have made it hard to eat eggs for a long time, so it's not just a matter of food. Adding eggs to school meals caused a lot of debate in some Indian states, even though experts strongly supported the idea.

In Gujarat, arguments about whether or not to serve eggs in public places show bigger ideological differences. But some states, like Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh, have added cooked eggs to their midday meal programs because research shows that they make kids healthier and more likely to go to school.

Effects of Business and Change in Farming

The poultry industry, already a significant contributor to the agricultural economy, stands to benefit from India's growing egg consumption. Chicken farming, which is thought to be a low-risk, high-reward business, employs millions of people.

India makes more than 122 billion eggs every year, making it the third-largest egg maker in the world, after the US and China. However, a few states center much of the production, and the average level of consumption in the country remains low. Problems still exist with getting to stores, distributing goods, and storing food.

Akshay Patil, a chicken farmer from Maharashtra, says, "We can meet global standards and produce more."

"But to push demand in underdeveloped areas, we need better cold chains, training, and local awareness."

The health benefits of eggs are what make people want to consume them.

Eggs are a great source of vitamins, good fats, and high-quality proteins. People often refer to them as a "superfood." Eggs are rich in vitamin B12, vitamin D, choline, and selenium, making them beneficial for children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

Doctors often recommend eggs to help keep bones healthy, keep the brain working well, and heal muscles. Health-conscious individuals and food producers like them because they are cheap, easy to carry, and versatile.

It's possible to get a lot of excellent nutrition for just 6 to 10 rupees, says Dr. Menon. "Such a cost-benefit ratio is uncommon."

How to Get There: Beating the Average Around the World

India consumes more eggs, but experts say it needs to increase its consumption to match the rest of the world. Among the suggestions are the following:

Increasing educational programs that teach people about nutrition, especially in rural and tribal areas, is essential.
Public nutrition programs, like Anganwadis, and school lunch programs that get egg support
Adding to the supply line to make storage and transportation better
Getting the locals involved to deal with cultural taboos

Al Jazeera says that countries that were able to get more people to eat eggs usually did so by using economic rewards, nutritional education, and policy support.

Using similar integrated approaches could improve the health of the whole country and give India's poultry business a way to keep growing. With consistent work, the simple egg might be able to make a big difference in fixing the country's nutritional gaps.

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