Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that the persistent sticker shock Americans are feeling when they visit the supermarket egg case is going away any time soon. Here's why.
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00:00Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that the persistent sticker shock Americans are feeling when they
00:05visit the supermarket egg case is going away anytime soon. Here's why.
00:10According to the USDA, egg prices rose by 8.4 percent in December 2024, and the agency
00:15anticipates a 20.3 percent increase over the course of 2025. According to the Bureau of
00:20Labor Statistics data, the average price of a dozen eggs in December was around $4.15,
00:26but it's only gone up from there. In January 2021, it was less than $1.50. The culprit
00:32is avian flu.
00:33"...efforts to limit the spread of the virus have led to the slaughter of more than 145
00:38million chickens, turkeys, and other birds."
00:41According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in December 2024 alone, the H5N1 strain of
00:46avian flu led to the deaths of 13.2 million egg-laying hens. There's no easy way to fight
00:53And Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, told CNN in January 2025 that egg
00:58lovers better be prepared to pay up for some time, probably throughout the year. She said,
01:03"...not to be the bearer of bad news, but we're in this for a while. Until we have time without
01:07a detection, unfortunately this very, very tight egg supply is going to continue."
01:12The problem has even hit restaurants. On February 4th,
01:15Waffle House announced a 50-cent surcharge on every egg it sells.
01:18"...I'll just stop eating eggs here."
01:22Rising egg prices are not necessarily new. They were repeatedly cited as a key issue
01:27throughout the 2024 presidential campaign.
01:30"...now a dozen eggs will cost you around $4, thanks to Kamala Harris' inflationary policy."
01:36But prices had started to come back down in late 2023 and early 2024,
01:40before spiking again late in the year. Avian flu also isn't the only factor.
01:45It appears that prices are spiking higher in some states with laws that dictate cage-free
01:49operations at farms. David Anderson, a professor at Texas A&M University,
01:54told PBS that demand for eggs has also risen. And then there's simply inflation in general.
01:59According to USDA data, the overall cost of food in the U.S. is expected to rise by 2.2 percent
02:04in 2025. Besides, eggs, coffee, beef, and other grocery store staples are also projected to
02:10increase in price over the course of the year. Eggs, in particular, are creating stress for
02:14shoppers because, in addition to often being eaten on their own, they're a surprisingly common
02:19ingredient in lots of different foods — baked goods, pasta, soups, and even meat dishes where
02:24they're used as a binder. So what can people do in the face of rising costs?
02:28One, you can be sure to do everything you can to keep the eggs you have from going bad.
02:32Keep them refrigerated and store them in their original carton,
02:35which protects them from evaporation. If you don't have or don't want the carton,
02:39you can also store them in an airtight container filled with water.
02:42A second option is to reduce the number of eggs you have to crack by using egg substitutes when
02:46you bake. Tofu, mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and aquafaba — the liquid from cooked chickpeas
02:52and other legumes — can all serve the same purpose as eggs. Or you can just buy the
02:56prepackaged egg substitutes that are available. Though, it must be said, they are also not cheap.
03:00Whatever you choose to do — conserve, use substitutes, or just grit your teeth and pay
03:05for them — it seems that eggs are going to come at a premium price for some time to come.