Jim Cramer has some bad news for those who love to eat Egg McMuffins. Just take one look at the New York Times on Friday, and see an article entitled "Food Companies Fear Bird Flu May Cause Egg Shortages." However, this bad news is actually turning out to be a once in a lifetime opportunity for one privately held company.
Hampton Creek Foods specializes in creating plant-based, egg-free alternatives for ingredients such as mayonnaise and cookie dough. According to the New York Times, major food companies such as General Mills are turning to Hampton Creek for its powdered egg substitute to address the egg shortage.
Could it be possible that these big food players might stick with Hampton Creek after the shortage is over? Cramer thinks this could actually happen, considering that its plant-based mix is 48 percent cheaper than using actual eggs.
To find out if Hampton Creek can ramp up enough scale to meet demand, Cramer spoke with the founder and CEO of Hampton Creek Foods, Josh Tetrick.
Tetrick confirmed that, so far, the company has not had to turn down any requests from large players in the food industry. Currently Hampton has five manufacturing facilities around the country that are working to provide product quickly.
"We have really prepared for this moment. We are set up all across with Sysco, with U.S. Foods, with UNFI. This is our moment," the CEO said.
And while Hampton Creek is happy to aid the large companies looking to solve the egg shortage, Tetrick added that the company likes these big partnerships and do not want them to be a one-off solution to the avian flu issue.
In his opinion, Tetrick thinks the plant-based egg alternative is superior to eggs and that this situation allows for a disruption in the way that eggs are supplied.
----------------------------------------------------------
Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer
Cramer Remix: Why you need to avoid Chinese stocks
Cramer: Mergers to unlock riches
Cramer: Stupid decisions that burn cash
----------------------------------------------------------
"There are some companies, like General Mills, and that's a great example of it, that they're just trying to get ahead of the thing. So, I imagine that we don't have to live with the same 1971 supply chain," he said.
Ultimately, Tetrick confirmed that while the company has several investors that allow it to be well-capitalized, the next step in the process is to be able to scale and grow fast enough. He sees a future where his company can have a large impact on the world, beyond the scope of just natural and alternative options.
Questions for Cramer?
Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC
Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up!
Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Vine
Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com