In California, Eggs Are Almost $9 a Dozen

With the first human death from bird flu now logged in the US, health officials have their fingers crossed that it doesn't become a major public-health issue. But H5N1 is already wreaking havoc on poultry flocks and causing an egg shortage that's driving up the cost at the grocery store. Forbes notes there are other factors also in play—including rising production costs due to inflation, recent seasonal demand for holiday cooking, and new regulations in certain states—but "at the heart of the crisis" is bird flu, and some supermarkets are now limiting egg purchases until things bounce back. More:

• The numbers: According to the USDA, the national average price for a dozen eggs has spiked more than 60% over the last year, rising from $2.07 in October 2023 to $3.37 this past October. Citing price-reporting service Expana, Axios notes that last week, a dozen large eggs in the Midwest "hit an unprecedented $6.07 per dozen."

• California's nightmare: In the Golden State, which has new regulations mandating cage-free eggs, things are worse: The Los Angeles Times reports the average price of a dozen large eggs in late November was $5.68. By December, that price tag had jumped to $8.97, per the USDA—a nearly 60% increase.
• Eateries: Restaurateurs have been especially hard hit. "It's f---ing killing me," Cara Haltiwanger, owner of a new Los Angeles breakfast sandwich eatery that just opened in November, tells SFGate. "I'm an egg restaurant, I have to buy eggs no matter what, you know?" Gemma Ballesteros, who opened a bakery in Hayward in 2020, says she remembers when a case of eggs was around $30; now it's up to $125, she says.
• What's next: Because the detection of avian flu picks up in the spring, the American Farm Bureau Federation warns "it is likely that egg prices will continue to show volatility" for a while, per the Times.
• Alternatives: Shelves devoid of eggs in the markets by you? The Sacramento Bee offers some replacement options as binding ingredients (ie, applesauce or mashed potatoes) and for getting your protein.

(More eggs stories.)