Egg prices hit an all-time high in January, federal officials have said.
Trader Joe’s confirmed that it would be capping purchases to one carton per customer each day as government data show that prices for a dozen eggs hit all-time highs last month because of bird flu.
That limit applies to all Trader Joe’s locations across the country, a spokesperson said.
“We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who need eggs are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joe’s,” the company said in a statement on Feb. 11.
In addition, consumers and several local media outlets have reported varying limits at stores such as Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Aldi. But not all those limits are nationwide.
A spokesperson for Kroger, for example, confirmed that the supermarket giant doesn’t currently have “enterprise-wide limits” in place but said some regional divisions and store banners are asking customers to cap egg purchases to two dozen per trip.
Walmart said that it also hasn’t imposed national limits, except for bulkier purchases of 60-count cartons, which have been capped at two per purchase.
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“Although supply is very tight, we’re working with suppliers to try and help meet customer demand, while striving to keep prices as low as possible,” Walmart said in an emailed statement.
According to data released by the Federal Reserve of St. Louis on Feb. 11, the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. cities stood at about $4.95 in January. That’s a record high, eclipsing the record of $4.82 set in 2023.
Reason for the High Prices
The primary reason that eggs are more costly is an outbreak of avian influenza that has lasted since early 2022 and in some cases has affected dairy cattle and people. When the virus is discovered in poultry or egg-laying hens, the entire flock has to be culled to prevent the spread of the disease.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said that millions of chickens have been killed in recent months, and more than 23 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds were slaughtered in the past 30 days.
Data provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that more than 157 million birds have been affected by avian influenza since January 2022, including wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry, backyard flocks, and more.
The CDC stated that as of Feb. 11, 68 people in the United States had been infected with the H5N1 bird flu and that one had died. The lone fatality was confirmed to be a Louisiana resident older than 65 with preexisting medical issues, officials have said.
“While the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures,” the agency said, noting that most human avian influenza cases involve people working on dairy farms and with commercial poultry flocks.
The Epoch Times contacted Trader Joe’s and Costco for comment this week but received no response by publication time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
