Scrambled plans and cracked budgets

Feb 133 min read

By Liliana Chai and Teresa Sun Feb. 12, 2025

Eggs, once a breakfast staple, are now luxury items due to their soaring prices amidst a bird flu outbreak sweeping across the nation’s farms.

More formally known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1, the virus has affected over 130 million poultry birds in 1,400 outbreaks across all 50 states since Jan. 2022 per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, leading to the culling of millions of hens. California has been hit especially hard, with 17 commercial flocks and 4.2 million poultry birds affected. Infection spreads through both direct contact with infected birds and indirectly from contaminated surfaces and feed. Thus, the shortage has resulted in a staggering 63% increase in egg costs nationwide, as per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The site further states that the average price for a dozen Grade A large eggs in California has jumped from $2.50 in Nov. 2023 to $7.75 in January this year.

Additionally, the holiday season has only exacerbated the problem: the demand for eggs typically rises for baking seasonal treats, putting significant strain on local restaurants and bakeries. With the increasing prices, pastry shops like La Flor de Puebla struggled to make their usual numbers of Rosca de Reyes, a seasonal Mexican cake that requires eggs, during their Día de Los Reyes Holiday in January. The owner, Carmen Torres, stated that the shop paid over three times more for each case (360). Even retail stores like Trader Joe’s and Raley’s erected signs citing the complications sourcing supply in their egg sections, limiting purchases to one carton per person.

“I am very fortunate to not feel the effect of the egg shortage, but I sympathize with everybody that is. Without eggs, I would probably have to find an entirely new source of protein. I also would not be able to bake as much as I like, since eggs are a crucial ingredient, ” Sophomore Avni Harsh said.

Still, scarcity surrounding popular food items is not limited to eggs; similar shortages have been seen with Sriracha, a popular spicy Thai sauce, that saw low supply due to a drought that reduced pepper production. However, unlike eggs, sriracha is not nearly as globally relied on as a daily essential for peoples’ diets, making the egg shortage pose an even greater challenge. According to an article from the University of Georgia’s CAES Newswire, the egg shortage could potentially lead to a recession through several interconnected economic mechanisms. As a staple ingredient in many foods, egg scarcity would drive up costs for businesses that rely on eggs, leading to higher consumer prices. Without money from shoppers, supply chains could be disrupted, affecting food production and contributing to inflation overall.

“The inflation for egg prices is only a fragment of a larger problem—a trend that started during COVID, with shortages and discord over food and even toiletries. Companies need to find ways to keep the food supply consistent so prices can maintain affordability, especially for low-income families,” Senior Sofia DeRollo said.

Moving forward, the shortage is expected to persist until mid-2025, according to USDA officials. The agency is collaborating with farmers and ranchers to implement biosecurity measures to limit the spread of the virus, including quarantining infected farms, regular testings and culling affected flocks.

In the meantime, brands like JUST Egg and Hodo Foods are providing plant-based alternatives to help mitigate the impact of the egg shortage on their operations. However, these substitutions are out of financial range for many: most options are about double the price, but half the amount of eggs that consumers would have purchased in a dozen Grade A large eggs. For instance, JUST Egg charges around $7.99 for 12 oz of “eggs,” while a dozen eggs in Nov. 2023 would cost $2.50 for 24 oz.

Ultimately, the egg shortage highlights the vulnerabilities within industrial farm systems. As reported by the USDA and other experts, the heavy reliance on large-scale operations makes the food supply chain particularly susceptible to disruption and disease outbreaks alike. This crisis illustrates the interconnectedness of food systems and the pressing need for greater resilience in food production and distribution. Moving forward, there is a placed emphasis on prioritizing sustainable and diversified agricultural practices that can better withstand unforeseen challenges, hopefully ensuring a more stable and secure food supply for the future.

About the Contributors

Liliana Chai is a sophomore at Leland High School. She is a staff writer for the 2024-25 Charger Account. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, playing piano, writing poetry and sleeping.