ROCHESTER, N.Y. — This Consumer Alert looks at the price of eggs and what’s being done about it. Egg prices are spiking again and bird flu is to blame.

More bird flu means fewer chickens which means fewer eggs which leads to higher prices. As he stood in front of the popular Jines Restaurant, New York Senator Chuck Schumer told us we could be shelling out $8 for a dozen eggs unless something is done to fight bird flu. Jines Restaurant knows eggs. In fact, beyond the over-easy and scrambled varieties, eggs are used in nearly every item on the breakfast menu.

“If you look at the French toast, pancakes, and waffles, all of those recipes call for eggs,” said Peter Jines, owner of the restaurant. “Eggs go into the banana bread. Eggs go into the cinnamon rolls, and your French toast batter is made with eggs.”

Jines buys eggs by the case, 30 dozen at a time. In early 2022 a case of eggs cost around $40. But today, Jines is paying about $200 per case. That’s an increase of 400%. That price spike is a pain felt by proprietors and patrons alike.

“It has affected my budget deeply,” said Jines customer Robert Granville. “We use eggs for everything. I love protein.  I leave the gym, and I like to have a couple of boiled eggs all the time.”

The reason for egg-flation is bird flu. It spreads quickly, often wiping out entire flocks. Senator Schumer says without help from the federal government, the problem will get worse. 

As he held a carton of a dozen eggs, he said, “A year and a half ago it cost $2. In November it costs $4.00. Now it costs $5 to $6, and if we do nothing about bird flu it’s likely to go up to $8. Eight dollars for a dozen eggs!  Are you kidding me?”

But the senator said he has the solution. “In November I got about $300 million to help contain the bird flu crisis,” Schumer said.

He says the money will help farmers isolate sick birds, sanitize hatcheries, and provide PPE to prevent the spread from birds to workers.

“I am here to say we must spend those $300 million,” Schumer said. “There are some in the administration who are talking about impounding existing funds.”

He argues that not only should the funds not be impounded, but also the fed’s upcoming budget bill should allocate more money for the bird flu fight.

“There are some people that just don’t want the federal government to spend any money,” Schumer said. “But at the same time, Democrats and Republicans are saying the prices are too high. Let’s get the prices down. Hopefully, we can come together on an issue like this.”

So, as Congress battles over its budget, restaurant and household budgets are cracking from the strain.

Some restaurants now have a small surcharge on dishes that use eggs, but the owner of Jines says he doesn’t want to do that. He’s just hoping the price of eggs has finally reached a plateau.