The rise in egg prices in the United States, it is dental household budgets. In recent years, Americans have increased the number of eggs they eat while reducing their consumption of beef and venison, according to Data of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Consumption of eggs has increased in part because more and more families are consuming them as their primary protein substitute, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Sonja Sharp. Told CBS News. “Each of us eats about as many eggs as a hen can lay per year,” she said.
While the demand for eggs has increased, production in the United States has fallen due to the avian or “avian” flu epidemic. Nearly 58 million birds have been infected with bird flu as of Jan. 6, USDA says said, making it the deadliest outbreak in US history. Infected birds must be culled, leading to lower egg supplies and soaring prices.
Egg prices in December up 60% from a year earlier, according to the Consumer Price Index Data released Thursday. In U.S. cities, the average price for a dozen large Grade A eggs was $4.25 last month, according to The figures of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
In some states, it may even be difficult to find eggs on the shelves. But the overall egg supply is holding up as the total flock of laying hens is down only around 5% from its normal size of around 320 million hens. Farmers have been working to replace their herds as soon as they can after an outbreak.
Sharp said prices are unlikely to drop until new chickens are born without the infection and reach laying age. More than 300 breeding poultry flocks were affected by the outbreak last Friday, USDA says Data.
In New York, grocery store owner Jose Filipe said soaring egg prices had caused many customers to change their buying habits.
“I’ve seen customers switch from buying organic eggs to more conventional eggs, and more specifically now, half a dozen. Prices have quadrupled in about six or seven months,” he said. declared. recently told CBS New York’s Jenna DeAngelis.
What is bird flu?
Avian influenza is transmitted by free-flying waterfowl, such as shore ducks, geese and birds, and infects chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quails, domestic ducks, geese and guinea fowl. In another major recent outbreak of the disease, it killed more than 50 million chickens and turkeys in 2014 and 2015, while causing economic losses of $3.3 billion, the USDA estimates. The agency is currently researching a potential bird flu vaccine.
Fortunately, the public health risk associated with avian influenza stay weak, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nevertheless, cooking all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165°F is advised as a general rule of food safety.
The cost of processed eggs – used in liquid or powdered form in manufactured goods including salad dressings, cake mixes and french fries – has also risen, adding inflationary pressures.
Inflation cooling
The consumer price index – a closely watched indicator of inflation – increased by 6.5% in December of the previous year. This is the lowest annual increase since October 2021, according to the Labor Department reported Thursday and continues the steady decline in price increases since peaking at 9% in June last year. Falling prices for energy, commodities and used cars offset increases in food and housing.
But if eggs remain expensive, Chicago resident Kelly Fischer said she’ll start thinking more seriously about building a chicken coop in her backyard because everyone in her family eats eggs.
“We (along with neighbours) are planning to build a chicken coop behind our houses, so eventually I’m hoping not to buy them and have my own eggs and I think the cost comes into play a bit,” the school teacher said. 46-year-old public school. .. while shopping at HarvestTime Foods on the north side of town. “For me, it’s more of an environmental impact and trying to buy it locally.”
Eggs are just one of many food staples whose price will skyrocket in 2022. For example, margarine costs in December jumped 44% from a year ago, while butter rose 31%, according to CPI data.
—The Associated Press contributed to this report
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