Grocery stores impose egg limits as prices soar and supplies shrink

In recent months, I’ve started playing a new game of luck before every trip to my local supermarket. It’s called “Will I Purchase Some Eggs Today?” On a good day, I’ll get my hands on one carton. On a bad day — which has become quite frequent as of late — I’ll walk out without a single carton in tow.

Indeed, America is in the middle of an egg shortage, as CNN reported in January. The sight of empty refrigerator shelves is a reminder of a dystopic reality in which baking, enjoying breakfast or making fried rice is no longer a possibility — or comes with a hefty price.

The cost of eggs has been on the rise since 2022, when U.S. officials confirmed a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (H5N1) in a commercial flock. Last June, a flock of approximately 103,000 turkeys in Cherokee County, Iowa, was reportedly infected with bird flu, per the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Another outbreak was reported amongst a flock of about 4.2 million egg-laying chickens in Sioux County, Iowa. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that over 20 million egg-laying chickens in the U.S. died last quarter due to bird flu, proving that the outbreak remains relentless.

“Unlike in past years, in 2024, all major production systems experienced significant losses including conventional caged, cage-free, and certified organic types,” according to a USDA report published in January.

Fewer egg-laying poultry flocks means fewer supplies of eggs. That also means more empty store shelves and higher prices.

The average cost of a dozen eggs in California, where a state of emergency was declared over growing concerns about bird flu, is now $8.97, Barron’s reported. As of recently, the average cost for a carton of eggs is $4.85 per dozen, according to the USDA.

In the wake of a limited egg supply and exorbitant costs, several major retailers have begun limiting the number of cartons that shoppers can purchase during each grocery visit. Trader Joe’s, for example, limits customers to one or two dozen a day. The limit is currently in effect at all store locations.

“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 to NPR. A spokesperson told the outlet, “The rule could be lifted when there are no issues on the supply.”

Costco took similar measures, limiting customers to three packages of eggs, which are typically sold in two-dozen or four-dozen cartons. Kroger also introduced limits at some of its store locations, not nationally.

“In those divisions, the limits are two dozen per customer, per trip,” a spokesperson confirmed, per NPR. The retail chain did not specify which store locations have implemented the limits.

Food retailers aren’t the only ones affected by the egg shortage. Earlier this month, Waffle House announced a 50-cent surcharge on every egg it sells to combat the rising costs. The surcharge went into effect on Feb. 3 at Waffle House’s nearly 2,000 restaurant locations across 25 states.

“Rather than increasing prices across the menu, this is a temporary targeted surcharge tied to the unprecedented rise in egg prices,” Waffle House said in a statement obtained by TODAY.com.

In a separate statement to CNN, the breakfast chain said, “The continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (bird flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices. Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions.”

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At this time, it’s unclear when the egg supply and prices will return to normal. The USDA, in a new report, predicted that egg prices will increase another 20.3 percent in 2025. However, in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, the USDA forecasted that egg prices will slowly return to normal by April 2025. The price will initially decrease to $2.50 per dozen in the second quarter of 2025, and then $2.10 in the third quarter. Egg supply and prices are heavily dependent on bird flu cases, of course. A decrease in cases means lower prices and an increased supply of eggs are possibilities.

When asked what the Trump administration plans to do about the egg shortage, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at her first press briefing on Jan. 28, “There is a lot of reporting out there that is putting the onus on this White House for the increased cost of eggs.”

“As far as the egg shortage, what's also contributing to that is that the Biden admin and Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of 100 million chickens,” Leavitt added. Nowhere in her response did she mention avian flu.