Egg-flation: Costs of eggs reach record highs due to increase in bird flu cases

(WWLP) – The cost of food has risen 11.4 percent in the last year, but egg prices have shown a much larger increase than overall inflation costs.

According to the consumer price index, egg prices have increased a whopping 39.8 percent from just a year ago. A number of factors have played into the increase in egg prices, but one of the main reasons is the surge in bird flu cases.

This year has marked a historic outbreak of the virus, with 468 detections across the United States this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. And while eggs are a relatively inexpensive food item, rising prices have made it quite noticeable to many consumers.
A dozen large eggs is averaging $2.33 per carton, last year a dozen eggs cost $1.67 per carton.