Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Egg thefts in Pennsylvania and Seattle are exacerbating the egg shortage crisis.
- Egg prices have surged due to bird flu, with a dozen eggs costing $4.15.
- Retailers like Trader Joe's and Costco are limiting egg sales amid rising demand.
SALT LAKE CITY — As if the impact of bird flu on the nation's egg supply hasn't driven prices high enough, it appears thieves are giving themselves a "five-finger discount," and stockpiling could push egg prices even higher and tamper with availability.
In Pennsylvania, egg thieves stole more than 100,000 organic eggs — street value $40,000 — from Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs, according to Agri-View, which publishes agriculture-related news. And USA Today reported that clear across the country in Seattle, a pair of thieves broke into a cafe in the middle of the night and took about 540 eggs along with other breakfast items valued at nearly $800.
The owner of the Luna Park Cafe, Heong Soon Park, told USA Today that he spotted the thieves, who were seen near a white van outside his restaurant. He said they "scrambled" to get out of there when he approached.
Agri-View reports that as their price has soared, eggs have become a "red-hot target" for thieves.
"Retailers and restaurants increased egg prices during the past year, with a dozen eggs increasing by 50%. Now, with the threat of bird flu in parts of the United States, egg prices are expected to increase again, hitting both consumers and retailers hard in the pocket. A box of a dozen large Grade A eggs cost about $3.65 in November 2024, which is an increase of $1.51 from the same period a year earlier."
It also appears that shell-shocked consumers are stockpiling eggs, Saloni Vastani, an associate professor of marketing at Emory University, told USA in a separate article on the shortage.
That has led some retailers to limit how many people can buy, which calls to mind memories of the toilet paper shortage during the pandemic.
"Vastani said consumers may also be confusing egg price increases and shortages with worries about consumer goods price increases from tariffs the Trump administration is threatening on Canada, China and Mexico," the article said, noting that the president has paused some of the tariffs he'd earlier announced. "Also, this is a time when some industries are trying to sneak in price increases because their customers will think it's because of tariffs," she added.
Why are eggs so pricey?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said eggs went up roughly 65% in just a year from an average of $2.52 a dozen for large grade A eggs at the beginning of 2024 to $4.15 in December.
Both the price of eggs and the fact there's a shortage on some store shelves can be traced to supply and demand issues that have been driven by a bird flu outbreak that has devastated egg producers and others.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that 23.2 million chickens were killed in December 2024 alone after they contracted the virus.
The egg shortage and rising prices have roots that go back several years.
The outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian flu in the U.S. started on turkey farms in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention timeline, then began to spread to other creatures, likely through exposure to wild birds that were infected. The flu has sickened and killed a variety of animals, including wild cats, skunks, mink, sea lions and many others.
By 2024, an outbreak of avian flu was hitting dairy farms hard, and many of the dairy cattle were destroyed. In April, the first case of transmission between cattle and a dairy farm worker was reported. In most cases, such transmission has resulted in mild symptoms.
Time.com listed some of the impact nationwide from the outbreak, including the closure of live bird markets in New York City, announced by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The Waffle House restaurant chain said it would be adding a 50-cent surcharge per egg to orders, as Deseret News also previously reported.
Time quoted a USDA announcement: "For now, shell egg availability remains limited and inconsistent in many retail markets with many affected grocers employing steps to limit consumer purchasing to stretch their existing supplies including limiting or ending promotional activity, placing limits on units purchased per shopping trip, and holding prices at record or near-record highs to dampen demand."
The grocery chains limiting egg sales include Trader Joe's, Costco and Sprouts.
Globe Newswire reported two weeks ago that the worldwide market for powdered eggs is likely to "grow significantly, reaching approximately $2.57 billion by 2030, up from $1.68 billion in 2023." It said the market will be driven by "rising demand for convenient and long-lasting food products, increasing application in the bakery, confectionery and food processing industries and growing consumer preference for protein-rich diets."
No word, though, on how the egg shortage will impact that, but it notes powdered eggs have a very long shelf life.
The human toll of bird flu
According to the CDC, there have been 68 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the United States and one death related to recent avian flu outbreaks. Of those, 41 of the cases were related to outbreaks in dairy cattle herds, 23 were from poultry farms and culling operations, one was from a different animal exposure that wasn't specified, and in three cases no source was identified.
An additional seven people are listed who have been infected with "probable" avian flu.
The toll of bird flu on various animals has been high, including:
- 157,774,651 poultry affected in 51 jurisdictions.
- 11,627 wild birds in 51 jurisdictions.
- 962 dairy herds affected in 16 states.
