If you are an egg consumer in America, this question has likely crossed your mind when perusing the grocery store aisle or ordering meals containing eggs recently. The last thing anyone needs when checking out at a bagel shop is to see that there is an additional $1 surcharge for all orders using eggs. I just wanted to buy my bacon egg and cheese in peace.
Wherever you stand on what came first, the chicken or the egg debate, the main reason for the drastic increase in egg prices is the spread of the avian bird flu to over 156 million birds, including poultry, backyard flocks and wild birds. In order to mitigate the spread of disease in the poultry industry, the standard practice is the euthanasia of the entire flock in which the flu is detected. This has caused the supply of eggs to decrease. This, paired with a high demand for eggs, has caused prices to skyrocket and created a nationwide shortage. In December, the average price for a dozen eggs hit $4.15. The price per dozen in places like California has reached almost $9. It will likely get even worse with the upcoming Easter holiday; there doesn’t seem to be much relief in sight.
Besides the effect on the egg industry, the bird flu has also been raising concerns about the possibility of another pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 67 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans, with one infection having led to death. Symptoms of infection can include: fever, sore throat, cough, stuffy or runny nose, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, muscle aches, diarrhea, dyspnea and conjunctivitis. The most common subtype of the bird flu causes respiratory symptoms and pink eye. However, it is important to note that those at highest risk for infection are people who work directly with poultry, waterfowl and dairy cows, and transmission from person to person is extremely rare for this version of the bird flu.
Despite transmission of bird flu to egg consumers being rare, there has been some concern about purchasing eggs amidst the outbreak. During this time, it is important that consumers continue to practice smart habits when purchasing and eating eggs. These can include only buying eggs that are refrigerated, storing eggs in the refrigerator and avoiding the purchase or consumption of eggs that are cracked or past expiration. We can also rest assured that flocks that are contaminated with the avian flu virus are removed from the human food supply. The damage to our wallets will probably be the only issue consumers will have when purchasing eggs at this time.
If you are buying on a budget or just wondering how you can save a buck or two on your egg purchases going forward, grocery stores like the beloved Aldi (only a short walk from campus) are doing a great job at aiming to keep prices low. Jason Hart, the CEO of Aldi, said that the store is committed to its pricing philosophy of keeping prices as low as possible at this time. In addition to this, Aldi is also enforcing that consumers must be limited to purchasing two cartons of eggs at a time. Grocery shoppers at stores like Costco could benefit from this kind of limit; videos of shoppers rushing to purchase the entire egg inventory have been circulating and causing a lot of frustration for shoppers who didn’t get to the shelves in time. Does anyone else remember the toilet paper shortage during COVID-19? “Panic-buying” can exacerbate a shortage issue, and we are seeing that happen with eggs in lots of grocery stores today.
So yes, egg prices are up, and we can thank the bird flu for that one. While experts may not be issuing COVID-19 notices or anything, it is still important to practice the usual safe habits with eggs and other poultry items. With the increasing prices, it can be helpful to find ways to save money by shopping at stores that aim to keep their prices low and storage steady. Here’s to hoping places like Waffle House and local bagel shops will remove their surcharge for egg items on the menu soon… Suddenly, the Fordham Flu doesn’t seem nearly as bad.
Lena Gianaris, FCRH’26, is a psychology major from Harrison, New York.
