The largest breakfast chain in America has implemented a surcharge for eggs in the midst of a continuous crisis for bird flu.
Wafle House, the Georgia -based restaurant chain with more than 2,000 locations in 25 states, announced on Monday that it has implemented a surcharge of 50 cents per egg in all its menus.
The breakfast giant who is known for his affordable meals described the price increase as a 'temporary targeted allowance' that made his managers instead of increasing prices across the board.
It stated: 'Quality, freshly shrinked, degree a large eggs remain an important ingredient in many of the favorite meals of our customers.
“Consumers and restaurants are forced to make difficult decisions,” said the Waffle House about the national egg shortage.
“We follow the prices of eggs continuously and will adjust or remove the surcharge as the market conditions allow it,” said it.
Waffle House's decision signals the tension on the supply chain in the midst of the current H5N9 outbreak, which started in 2022.
Waffle House, the Georgia -based restaurant chain with more than 2,000 locations in 25 states, announced on Monday that it has implemented a surcharge of 50 cents per egg in all its menus
The breakfast giant known for his affordable meals described the price increase as a 'temporary targeted allowance' that made his managers instead of increasing prices across the board
Every time the bird flu virus is found on a poultry farm, the entire herd is slaughtered to limit its spread, according to AP.
And with massive egg farms that contain routinely more than 1 million chickens, only a few infections can cause a nutritional crisis.
More than 145 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have been slaughtered since the current outbreak began, with the vast majority of them as eggs those chickens lay.
Adding to the stress on the markets are cage-free proteins, which can cause the disruptions of delivery and price increases.
Organic and cage -free eggs are already more expensive than other varieties, but new laws in 10 states set minimal space for chickens or cage -free requirements for egg layers.
The costs of a dozen eggs have now been more than doubled since the summer of 2023 and reached an almost record high of $ 4.15 in December last year.
Although this was not brought to the record of $ 4.82 two years ago, the agricultural department predicts that prices will increase another 20 percent this year.
From the end of the end of last week, the wholesale price on the New York market for large boxes of eggs that were supplied to retailers with 39 cents, up to $ 7.62 per dozen, increased, according to USDA data on the egg market.
Shoppers throughout the country have reported to find empty shelves in their local supermarket
In the midwest it rose by 54 cents to $ 7.03 per dozen, and in California it climbed 37 cents to $ 8.72 per dozen.
The rise in egg costs has been surpassed, and takes a toll from Americans who already have difficulty digesting increased food prices.
Large retailers, including Publix and Lidl, have also implemented the purchase limits of eggs, and shoppers throughout the country already pay more than double the average price. Some have even reported to find empty shelves in their local supermarket.
The exorbitant prices have caused problems for the Trump administration, after he promised to lower supermarket prices on the first day of his presidency.
“There is a lot of reporting that puts responsibility on this White House for the increased costs of eggs,” said secretary Karoline Leavitt of the White House press when he was asked for the problem at her first press conference last week.
She did not mention bird flu, but added: “As far as the egg deficit is concerned, as to also contribute to it, is that the Biden -Admin and the Ministry of Agriculture have focused the mass murder of 100 million chickens.”