NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Grocery stores across South Florida have taken to limiting how many eggs shoppers can buy after mass panic buying has led to egg shortages.
As shelves cleared, the prices of the egg cartons left over soared, leaving many South Floridians frustrated.
“I don’t know why there’s no eggs; there were always eggs every day,” said Tonni St. Fleur.
Experts said the 2022 bird flu outbreak in the United States shortened supply, causing the price of eggs to skyrocket.
Major retailers such as Walmart and Whole Foods found their egg shelves empty. Aldi’s was forced to restrict the amount of cartons customers can buy at a time to two.
High prices and empty shelves left parents like Carolina Nasser scrambling to feed their families.
“I went to many places to find the eggs and nothing,” she told 7News. “You cannot find it anywhere. Really, I can’t. I can’t find it anywhere. It’s the most important food you eat. At breakfast, at lunch, anything. You know my kids; they like the breakfast eggs.”
“We eat eggs mostly every day,” said Lise Menendez. “So it has a very strong effect on my everyday diet.”
Similar to the 2020 toilet paper shortages, some experts claim that shoppers’ anxiety in fear of the shortage has increased in conjunction with the rising prices of eggs.
“Even in Covid times, they had eggs, you know? Now, no eggs. You cannot find it anywhere,” said Nasser. “And it’s double the price. Like, if I used to buy it for $6, I’m going to buy it for $13.”
Additionally, Waffle House has placed a 50% upcharge per egg on customers due to the “nationwide rise in the cost of eggs.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, egg prices are estimated to increase 25% in 2025, while food prices are expected to increase by about 2%.
“We have also seen the cost of everything, not just eggs. Bacon, groceries, and gasoline have increased due to the inflationary policies of the last administration,” said White House Secretary Karoline Leavit.
Some customers attributed the increase in egg prices to President Trump’s latest move to increase tariffs on goods from China.
“A lot of it has to with the tariffs,” said Menendez. “Everybody’s looking for a way to increase the price to the consumer.”
Experts have said as the bird flu outbreak persists, prices are expected to remain high while supply remains low.
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