What is going on with egg prices?
By now you’re probably aware that egg prices hit a tremendous spike in 2022. In this article we’ll review the alleged causes of the price spike, but also look at real prices that foodservice distributors charged restaurants for a case of eggs over the course of 2022.
Why did egg prices spike in 2022?
An outbreak of avian influenza (also known as bird flu) hit last February resulting in the culling of 57 million birds. Large numbers of egg-laying chickens have been culled, leading to a significant decrease in the supply of eggs and an increase in egg prices. While the egg-laying hens that have died or been killed because of the outbreak are replaced, it can take 4 to 5 months for an egg-laying hen to reach peak egg production. According to the New York Times, domestic egg production has dropped an average of 7.5% each month since the outbreak.
The effects of this outbreak were felt across the globe, as many countries import eggs from the affected areas. The shortage of eggs led to an increase in the price of eggs, making them more expensive for consumers to purchase. The price hike affected not only consumers but also the businesses that rely on eggs, such as bakeries and restaurants, who had to raise the prices of their menu items to cover the increased costs.
In fact, according to the November Producer Price Index, the US Bureau of Labor report on business inflation, the price of eggs for businesses have increased 244% year-over-year.
What did we see in our community data?
In data provided by the Dashy Dash restaurant members, we observed over 160 real prices charged to restaurants for eggs over the course of the year. We observed the average price for 15 dozen eggs nearly double from $47.10 in January 2022 to an average price of $82.34 in December 2022. A number of the prices submitted over the course of the year were over $90 per 15 dozen eggs.
Want to see even more data on egg prices including vendor info?
With a free Dashy Dash membership, you get detailed reports sent right to your inbox. Check out an example of our egg price report that includes even more data and charts including a table of average prices by vendor.
Download the Report
About Savor
Savor helps restaurants, restaurant groups, and chains of all types control supply costs with less work.
With Savor restaurants can manage invoices, track product price histories, and drill down into expense categories. We help restaurants...
- Automatically catch rising prices before they spin out of control
- Benchmark prices for supplies against those paid by similar restaurants and bars
- Easily find alternative products and suppliers in their area
- Capture credits by automatically auditing invoices for errors
