Egg Shortages Strike Texas as Grocery Stores and Restaurants Make Changes

Do you remember years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic when retailers would put a limit on how many items of a certain product you could buy?

Well, it's back for many in Texas and this time its due to the egg shortage which can be traced back to two things, the bird fly and panic buying. And now more and more retailers are limiting how many eggs you can purchases you can make.

Texas has also seen a rise in cost of eggs which has also put a strain on restaurants and households.

Why Are Egg Prices Increasing in Texas?

According to the USDA, the outbreak of bird flu nationwide along with customers panic buying are driving up the cost of eggs. CBS News reported that more than 23 million birds have been affected by bird flu in last 30 days.

The USDA expects egg prices to increase 20% this year. The average price for a carton of 12 large eggs is currently $5.43 across Texas.

Is There An Egg Shortage in America?

According to the Austin American-Statesman, consumers are causing the shortages because they are panic buying. Consumers see prices go up so they buy more. That as caused some retailers to run out of eggs and consumers take pictures of empty shelves and share those pictures on social media creating a panic.

Retailers and Restaurants Take Action on Eggs

Some grocery stores and retailers in Texas are starting to limit how many cartons you can purchase. Trader Joes told USA Today on Monday that they would limit customers to 1 dozen per customer per day. Costco has limited customers to 3 packages per day according to the Austin American-Statesman. Some Sprouts locations are also limiting how many cartons a customer can purchase.

Some restaurants are taking action on eggs as well. Waffle House recently announced a temporary 50 cent fee per egg if you order eggs. Other restaurants, like Jimenez y Friends in Lubbock, TX are scaling back on breakfast due to the cost of eggs.

Officials do urge people not to panic buy when it comes to eggs. Prices are expected to increase due to bird flu, but there are still eggs making their way to the stores.