Egg sales in the UK have skyrocketed, surpassing 13bn for the first time since the 1980s, according to new figures.

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has revealed that egg sales rose by four per cent in 2018 – equivalent to approximately 240m extra eggs.

The organisation suggests the spike in sales could be correlated with a rise in the number of people adopting flexitarian diets – consuming more plant-based meals without completely eliminating meat – suggesting consumers are looking for more meat-free alternatives.

According to recent figures, a third of Britons have stopped or reduced eating meat with a further 21 per cent claiming to be flexitarian.

"Eggs are firmly back in fashion, with sales maintaining their relentless rise in 2018, supported by consumer desire for healthier options, flexitarianism, and the impact of the change in official advice that vulnerable groups can now enjoy runny eggs, as long as they are Lion," a spokesperson for the British Egg Information Service (BEIS) tells The Independent.

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"Total UK egg consumption has passed 13bn for the first time since the early 1980s, according to our estimates for 2018, and we expect that to keep increasing."

The BEIC also suggested the increase could be linked to updated advice from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) regarding the consumption of runny or raw eggs in 2017.

Almost 30 years after the salmonella crisis, the food safety watchdog confirmed that vulnerable groups previously thought to be at risk from eating raw eggs – including pregnant women, children and the elderly – can now freely consume them, provided they have been produced according to the British Lion code of practice.

“Despite broader consumer consumption trends changing every year, eggs remain very much at the centre of modern lifestyles and a shopping basket essential for the young and old,” BEIC chairman Andrew Joret said in a statement.

“For sales to grow by more than half a pack of eggs for every person in the UK within a year is fantastic news and I’d like to think we can secure the full pack by the end of this year.”

According to the BEIC, the rise in egg sales is the result of 13 years of consecutive growth and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop there.

The organisation revealed that egg sales remained strong at the start of 2019, with the latest four week volume sales figures for the week ending 27 January up by five per cent on the previous year.

“Consumer confidence in eggs has been on a high for a while,” Joret said.

“The future looks bright as an ever-increasing stream of research reveals all the ways eggs can benefit our health.”