Costco Shoppers Are In Shambles Over Eggs As Bird Flu Spreads
The Costco subreddit is in a tizzy over one shopper's shocking sight: No eggs at the retail giant. A user posted a photo of a completely empty egg display area at their local warehouse, noting that it was the culmination of months of sparse deliveries. And although there was a salmonella recall on eggs during the summer, this shortage is due to a surge in bird flu.
Reuters reported that the rampant spread of H5N1 bird flu across chicken farms in the United States is driving down the egg supply, in turn driving prices up by record numbers – a predicted supply shortage just in time for the holiday season. Wholesale egg prices are the highest they have ever been, up 150% from December 2023.
The good news is that the risk of bird flu transmission from contaminated eggs is low. Between the pasteurization process and the heat from thoroughly cooking the egg, whatever bird flu may be present has little to no chance of survival. (Raw eggs, especially unpasteurized ones, are best avoided.) However, the crisis is still crimping Costco's egg supplies because millions of infected chicken flocks are being culled to try to control the virus.
How bad is the bird flu outbreak going to be?
Unfortunately, the bird flu outbreak, which began in 2022, is bad and getting worse. Reuters reports that the outbreak has killed over 123 million poultry birds in 49 states so far. This number includes 35 million commercial egg-laying hens, half of which contracted bird flu in just the past three months. Over 10% of America's total bird flu poultry losses have occurred since September.
The effects of this rampant virus are devastating to egg markets: In October, domestic egg production was down about 4% from the previous year's figures, with a similar decline in the number of egg-laying hens. And market experts predict that the ongoing crisis will drive prices to record highs.
The consumer price index, which tags how much shoppers pay for items, shows that the average cost of a dozen eggs is up 38% this year. The slow and unsteady pace of recovery from crises like these means that egg supplies will remain volatile for a while, and egg prices will remain high. Maybe get the most out of your egg nog this year instead of just letting leftovers spoil.