United States | Eggstortion

The price of eggs in America cannot be explained by inflation alone

You can’t make an omelette without breaking antitrust laws

Chino, CA - January 20: Paul Maust, the assistant manager, processes eggs after they are washed at Mausts  California Poultry in Chino on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. The price of eggs has increased over the last year due to an avian flu outbreak that has affected chicken farms nationwide. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda/MediaNews Group/The Press-Enterprise via Getty Images)
Image: Getty Images
|WASHINGTON, DC

When the holiday-induced baking frenzy passed and demand for snickerdoodles slowed, many thought egg prices would fall. The cost of a dozen had surged by more than that of any other supermarket item, from $1.79 to $4.25 in the year to December 2022. Could they get any pricier? Indeed they could. When January came to a close, Joe Biden told America that food inflation was cooling. But egg prices had risen by another 13.5%.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Eggstortionate”

From the March 18th 2023 edition

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