Egg crisis in the USA: not only the bunny is looking for eggs before Easter, but also the government

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 03. 28. 09:11

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In the United States, egg prices have skyrocketed in recent months, thanks to the bird flu epidemic and the resulting supply shock. Wholesale prices have sometimes reached $8 (about 3,000 forints) for a dozen eggs, while in some stores the consumer price has even exceeded the $10 mark. Although the situation has eased somewhat since then, the US government now fears a new problem: the surge in Easter demand could bring record prices again – writes Telex.

It will not be easy to make up for the shortage through imports either

The government has launched an international procurement campaign, first approaching European countries: Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden. However, the answer was the same everywhere: there are no eggs for sale. The reasons were not political – tariff wars or diplomatic tensions – but simply the fact that demand for eggs in Europe also increases during the Easter period, so member states tend to focus on supplying their own markets, leaving little to export.

Two worlds, two regulations – eggs do not fit together

The situation is further complicated by differences in food safety regulations. The American system requires that eggs placed on store shelves must be washed and refrigerated, as this is considered the only way to prevent salmonella infection.

In contrast, European regulations – which are also in force in Hungary – expressly prohibit washing eggs before placing them on the market. According to professional reasoning, by breaking the natural protective layer of the eggshell (the cuticle), the washed egg would be even more exposed to bacterial attack, especially if it is not used immediately.

This difference, however, means that fresh European eggs do not meet American requirements and cannot be imported directly into the US market – even if there would otherwise be something to export.