Why are eggs so much more expensive and difficult to find in California? We’ve got answers

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

• California is at the center of the country’s egg shortage.
• Google and Meta used to champion DEI efforts. Why Big Tech is pulling back?
• Inside the battle to restore drinking water in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

My kingdom for a dozen eggs

The long lines at the local grocery or warehouse store hearken back to the early days of iPhone releases.

But this time, it’s not smart phones or tech causing the latest round of panic buying across the nation.

It’s eggs, a suddenly scarce commodity.

If you’ve tried to buys eggs lately, chances are you’ve run into sizable waits, hoarding, purchase limitations or empty aisles.

While there’s confusion on why eggs are so expensive in and difficult to find in California, my colleague Caroline Petrow-Cohen attempted to provide some answers.

She documented that the average price of a dozen eggs has nearly doubled since last year and hit a record high of $4.95 in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Price tags are even heftier in California, where grocery stores are charging $9 or more for a dozen.

The spike has contributed to an overall rise in grocery prices, which increased half a percent last month, the Labor Department’s consumer price index report released last week found.

Some grocery chains, including Trader Joe’s and Kroger, have placed limits on the amount of eggs shoppers can purchase in an attempt to address the shortage.

Why are eggs prices so high?

The primary factor behind the jump in egg prices is an avian flu epidemic, which has led to the deaths of more than 21 million chickens, including 13 million in December alone.

There have been confirmed outbreaks of avian influenza in eight states, including California.

“This virus is historically unprecedented,” said Sanjay Sharma, an adjunct professor of finance and business economics at USC’s Marshall School of Business. “The reason for the egg shortage is very clear. Birds are getting this flu and they have to be culled as quickly as possible.”

What’s the situation in California?

As eggs become scarcer and suppliers struggle to keep up with demand, prices will rise.

The cost of a dozen eggs has risen 15% over the last four weeks, and prices are higher on the West Coast.

California egg prices are particularly high because the state relies largely on its own production of eggs, which has been diminished by the influenza outbreak. Forty percent of eggs consumed in California are produced in the state, Sharma said.

How long will the scarcity last?

Egg prices will likely return to normal once the chicken population is replenished and eggs are being produced at a normal rate, said Dominick Miserandino, chief executive of RetailWire. How long that takes depends on the course of the disease and farmer operations.

“Right now there is no end that I can see,” Miserandino said. “There is a degree of market panic and overreaction that’s making things worse.”

It can take months to raise a new flock of chickens, Sharma said, and there’s a risk bird flu could continue to spread among them. “If the next flock is infected as well, then we need a real systemic solution,” he said. “I don’t think that there is one out there.”

What can I do to save money?

There’s no need to hoard eggs, experts said. Most grocers that are implementing restrictions on eggs are limiting shoppers to two dozen per trip.

Sharma said he’s heard of instances of shoppers buying as many as 500 eggs from Costco in one trip. He suspects they are reselling them to restaurants and bakeries at a lower price than other suppliers.

“Egg prices are at an all-time high and people get quite nervous,” Miserandino said. “The simple advice would be, don’t panic and do the research.”

Are there any other groceries that could see similar spikes?

Labor Department data show that several grocery items have become more expensive since last year, including ground beef, milk and fresh chicken. If President Trump successfully implements his steep tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, produce prices could soar.

Trump campaigned on the promise that he would lower grocery prices, after frequently blaming President Biden for inflation and high everyday costs.

For more on soaring prices of eggs, check out the full article.

The week’s biggest stories

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Fires and recovery aftermath

• Inside the battle to restore drinking water in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
• LAFD could have had at least 10 engines patrolling Palisades hills, former chiefs say.
• FEMA doubles down on its decision to not test soil as part of wildfire cleanup.
• Trump administration policy is slowing the very fire prevention work he endorsed, critics say.

Rains, mudslides and weather

• SoCal digs out after mudslides, flooding, rain rescues; tornado damages homes.
• Avalanche closes Mammoth Mountain, seriously injures ski patroller.
• In most of the U.S., the rainy season comes in spring. Not California.
• Authorities close more beaches, impose advisories on others. Here’s why.

Immigration policy and ICE raids

• L.A.’s Asian immigrant communities prep for raids, brace for deportations.
• Newsom threatens to veto immigration enforcement bill again.
• The LAPD has immigrant officers protected by DACA. Could Trump try to deport them?

Crime, courts and policing

• ‘League of Justice’: California AG part of group gearing up for court battles with Trump.
• LAPD officers accused of making racist and sexist remarks in recruiting office; mayor calls it ‘outrageous.’
• Was the gun real? Jurors will decide ASAP Rocky’s fate in Hollywood shooting trial.
• DOGE impersonators demand sensitive information at S.F. City Hall, flee before deputies arrive, authorities say.

More big stories

• ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 adds Rosalía, Marshawn Lynch and Kadeem Hardison.
• Marvel’s new ‘Captain America’ is a risky superhero handoff. Is it the reset Disney needs?
• Antonio Villaraigosa keeps Volvo, last name and Netflix account in divorce settlement.
• One bite of salad derailed Dustin May’s return to Dodgers. He’s thankful to be back.
• OpenAI’s board rejects bid from Elon Musk-led group.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and long-form journalism. Here’s a great piece from the week:

A mudslide is cleared on Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades on Friday.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Just five weeks ago, Pacific Coast Highway was smoldering from one of the most destructive firestorms in Los Angeles County history, with burned-out shells where scores of oceanside homes once stood. On Friday, the storied coastal road had dissolved into a river of mud and debris after a powerful rainstorm sent those burned hillsides careening toward the ocean, turning canyons into rivers of mud and rocks. Southern California is used to the cycle of drought and deluge, where fires are followed by flooding and debris flows. But the last few weeks have brought particular climate whiplash to residents of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena burn zones.

More great reads

• Column: We live in Mike Davis’ L.A. — but not the one you think.
• $99 for an orgasm? Inside an L.A. self-love workshop for women
• Leonard Cohen’s estate sues onetime attorneys for malpractice, citing fraud and forgery.
• Column: In aftermath of fires, consultants might help, but L.A. needs someone to lead.
• California banned polystyrene. Has the plastic industry spooked the governor into silence?

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your weekend

(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Cindy Trinh)

Going out

• 🥟 Comedian and Torrance native Jenny Yang dishes about her LA Sunday Funday, including dim sum in the San Gabriel Valley.
• 🖼️ We’ve organized a list of the 101 Latino-owned businesses and organizations to experience the best of Latino L.A.
• 🌅 Looking to relax? Here’s where to find (and protect) quiet places in nature around SoCal.
• 🎶 Here are 8 L.A. supper clubs that pair good food with live music.
• 🦅 One of Los Angeles’ most iconic neighborhoods is none other than Eagle Rock.
• 🏠 Dazzling Midcentury Modern homes you don’t want to miss at Palm Springs’ Modernism Week.

Staying in

• 🧥 How to dress for the coldest place in L.A. — the inside of your apartment.
• 📖 L.A. Times Columnist Michael Hiltzik documents the greatness of California in his book “Golden State: The Making of California.”
• 💮 “The White Lotus” Season 3 review: More murder, mystery and maybe enlightenment. It’s back Sunday on Max.
• 🧑‍🍳 Perhaps there’s nothing so simple and delicious to make than quesadillas. Here a quick, savory recipe.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and arcade games.

L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

(Zoë Hansen / For The Times)

Two months in, he asked her if he could propose after six months? She said, “Yes.” Three months in, he drove her around his ideal neighborhood, asking if she could see herself living there and joking that he, his daughters and her would all watch “Chopped” together. She wanted it all: the proposal, the neighborhood, the two daughters, him. But he broke up with me — a day before Valentine’s Day — in a rambling voicemail. Would they find a way back together or is there no second chance?

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Carlos Lozano, news editor

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