Egg Limits Are Back – What’s Causing the Shortage?
Retailers across the United States, including Costco and Trader Joe’s, have placed limits on egg purchases as an ongoing avian flu outbreak disrupts supply chains.
“Due to ongoing issues with the supply of eggs, we are currently limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day, in all Trader Joe’s stores across the country,” a spokesperson for the grocery chain told CNN.
Trader Joe’s, which operates approximately 600 stores nationwide, said the restrictions are intended to ensure that more customers have access to eggs. The scarcity may be driving the hoarding of eggs by customers who fear a lack of supply, much like the days of shelves without staples like toilet paper in the days of the lockdown in 2020.
Other major retailers have also imposed purchase limits. Costco and Whole Foods are restricting customers to three dozen eggs per visit, while Sprouts has set a limit of four dozen.
The shortage stems from the continued spread of H5N1, commonly known as bird flu, which has led to the culling of approximately 150 million poultry birds in an effort to contain the virus. The mass culling has significantly reduced egg production, driving up prices and limiting availability in stores.
