DES MOINES, Iowa — With an increasing egg shortage due to the widespread bird flu outbreak, the United States will soon allow imported egg products from the Netherlands to be used for commercial baking and in processed foods.

It’s the first time in more than a decade the U.S. has bought eggs from a European nation and comes as consumers are seeing a surge in shell egg prices and a Texas-based supermarket began limiting purchases.

Generally, the U.S. produces enough eggs to meet domestic supply and export more than 30 million dozen eggs a month to trade partners including Mexico and Canada, the largest buyers. But the H5N2 virus — which began to spread widely through Midwest farms in the early spring — has left nearly 47 million birds dead or dying.

About 35 million were egg-laying hens that provided 80 percent of the eggs for the breaker market — eggs broken then liquified, dried or frozen to be used in processed foods. Because there are fewer chickens laying eggs, a third of the supply for companies buying egg products has disappeared in just a few weeks.