Before Passover and amid bird flu, food distributors grapple with getting eggs

Egg prices remain high in much of the United States following an avian flu outbreak that led to the loss of many egg-laying chickens, and has caused an ensuing egg shortage a month before the holidays of Passover and Easter in April, when eggs take center stage.

Limited supplies as a result of what is commonly called the “bird flu” are related to the loss of many egg-laying chickens.

According to CBS News, more than 148 million birds have been ordered euthanized since the current strain of bird flu was first detected in 2022. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 650 counties nationwide are reporting outbreaks.

In June 2024, the average cost of a dozen eggs was $2.72, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. January’s price tag reached, on average, $4.95 nationwide a carton. In many places, like Florida, California and Hawaii, the price exceeds $10 and goes as high as $15.

The uptick is also impacting businesses and charitable organizations, including food suppliers, turning a protein staple into a luxury item.

“For the last 20 years, since we opened Masbia, eggs were the poor person’s protein,” said Alexander Rappaport, executive director of Masbia, a soup kitchen network that provides meals and food to people in Borough Park and Flatbush in Brooklyn, N.Y., and in parts of Queens, N.Y.

Now, though, they may have to “pivot” to provide another type of protein to their recipients.

“The rising cost of eggs is yet another blow to families who have been quietly struggling with financial stress for years,” said Rachel Krich, executive director of Project Ezrah, which helps Jewish families in economic distress in Northern New Jersey.

She added that with “the drastic spike in egg prices, suddenly everyone is paying attention. For many Jewish families who are already stretched thin, this feels like the final straw.”

While there isn’t much individual consumers can do, those in the culinary industry are incorporating substitutions such as olive oil, applesauce and liquid eggs in a carton, which need to be refrigerated.

The situation is likely to impact Jewish consumers even more during Passover, which starts on the evening of April 11, since many recipes call for large quantities of the protein over the eight-day holiday.

“Eggs have become a Passover staple, especially for those who only eat what is cooked from scratch at home during Passover,” Rapaport told JNS, adding that Masbia doesn’t use or distribute eggs by the dozen, “we do eggs by the case.”

That said, he acknowledged that “this year will be very challenging.”

©️JNS