A Dozen Eggs
This year, the price of eggs jumped to $3.82 per dozen, up from the $1.74 they cost in 2020. iStock

An egg shortage triggered by avian flu has prompted several grocery stores, including , Costco, and Trader Joe's, to limit purchases per customer.

Trader Joe's, which has around 600 stores across the U.S., is allowing customers to purchase only one dozen eggs per day.

"We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who need eggs are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joe's," a Trader Joe's representative said Monday, CNN reported.

Sprouts Farmers Market and Costco have also set limits on the number of fresh eggs customers can buy.

Costco issued a statement, saying, "Due to supply challenges caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza, shell eggs and egg products may be short or cut from delivery orders without notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."

The grocery giant has imposed a limit of three packages of eggs per person, which is generally sold in cartons of two or four dozen. In addition, Costco has set a limit for online orders, allowing members to buy a maximum of five dozen eggs at a time.

Meanwhile, Sprouts placed a sign on empty shelves, informing customers that egg availability may be limited in the coming weeks and restricting purchases to four dozen per visit.

"Due to supply shortages, availability may be limited in the coming weeks. Limit 4 dozen eggs per visit," Sprouts' signboard mentioned.

Many shoppers took to social media to share pictures and videos, showing panic buying of massive amounts of eggs at the supermarkets.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, a sharp increase in avian flu cases led to the deaths of over 40 million egg-laying birds last year. With fewer eggs available, prices jumped 14% from November to December and are expected to rise another 20% this year.

Waffle House responded to the rising costs by adding a 50-cent charge for each egg at its 2,100 restaurants. The restaurant chain said that it will continue to monitor egg prices and adjust or remove the extra charge as needed.

In December, the average price for a dozen large grade-A eggs, the type Waffle House uses, reached $4.15, up from $3.65 in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some shoppers have reported egg prices as high as $10 per carton in certain states.

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