As egg prices throughout the country surge, the USC community is struggling to cope with the low supply and high prices in the USC village. Trader Joe’s is limiting egg purchases to “one dozen per customer, per day, in all Trader Joe’s stores across the country,” according to a media representative, and a carton of eggs at Target can run you $10 to $12.
The price hikes are a result of the avian flu H5N1. H5N1 has been present in the United States since 2022, but recent outbreaks and mutations have alarmed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and sent panic through the American population. The first H5N1 human death was reported on January 6th, with 66 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the United States since 2024, according to the CDC. Since 2022, over 148 million birds have been ordered to be euthanized, according to CBS.
“The virus initially spread to commercial and backyard poultry and has also infected mammals, including minks, sea lions and now dairy cattle. However, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission associated with the current avian influenza situation in the United States,” according to the CDC website.
Adding to the shortage is a recent Pennsylvanian egg theft, in which 100,000 eggs worth $40,000 were stolen from a Pete and Gerry’s trailer, according to a report from Pennsylvania State Police.
“I’ve seen my egg prices go from right around $6 to about $9, which is a huge, huge shift especially if you’re a student. Groceries can get expensive. It’s definitely affecting my everyday life, like I’m eating less eggs now,” Serena Pawa, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry, said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has pinned the egg shortage on the Biden Administration and the euthanasia of chickens with the disease.
“This is an example of why it’s so incredibly important that the Senate moves swiftly to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees, including his nominee for the United States Department of Agriculture Brooke Rollins who has already been speaking with Kevin Hassett who’s leading the economic team here at the White House on how we can address the egg shortage in this country,” Leavitt said.
If the flu continues to affect both poultry and egg farms, it’s likely that other forms of food, including meat, could also face shortages and create further economic strain, according to NPR.
Eggs are consumed by approximately 20% of the population on a given day, according to a study published in the Nutrition Reviews journal, and are a staple food for low-income families due to their high nutritional benefits and previous affordability.
“It’s becoming more and more uncomfortable to be American because you’re not able to get the most basic things, like eggs,” Beftu Mohammed, a senior majoring in international relations, said.
Concerns around egg safety have also been brought up by the recent Avian Flu outbreak.
“I trust people are doing their job and making sure [the eggs] are safe. But there’s still the doubt: what if I eat this and I get sick?” said Jacqueline Balencia, a USC cashier at Seeds in the USC Tutor Center. “You trust the sources but at the same time you think, will it be true? Especially now that Trump is saying the CDC is not doing their job. There’s a hesitation to believe things,”