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The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the surging price of eggs, which is expected to rise more than 40 percent in 2025.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department sent a letter to egg companies instructing them to preserve documents about their pricing conversations with customers and competitors, in addition to communications with Expana, formerly Urner Barry, an American business publisher that tracks an egg index.
The department suggested that federal investigators want to review company communications about egg production and bird flu.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent report, the average price of a dozen eggs is currently $6.85, though retailers across the country are pricing a dozen eggs at $10 or higher. The Justice Department probe aims to determine whether large producers conspired to raise prices or hold back supply.
One publicly traded egg-producing company — Cal-Maine Foods — has been reporting rising profits from the crisis. Its stock has increased 50 percent within the last year.
It’s not clear if the agency’s investigation is being handled by one of the department’s civil or criminal units.
The probe is in its early stages, multiple media outlets confirmed on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Capitol Forum, an antitrust trade outlet, was among the first to report the news.
The Independent requested comment from the Justice Department.
The soaring cost of eggs is largely due to the worst avian flu outbreak in U.S. history, which resulted in the deaths of 50 million egg-laying hens last year. At least an additional 14 million have been killed since the start of the year. The demand for eggs and a lack of supply have contributed to the price markups, making eggs one of the most inflated food products in recent months.
Some businesses have been passing the increased prices onto customers, particularly Waffle House, which announced in February it would be slapping a 50-cent surcharge on egg orders. Trader Joe’s and other grocers are introducing limits on how many cartons a person can buy.
Donald Trump’s administration is considering importing eggs from abroad, particularly Turkey, one of the country’s few egg-trading partners. Trump vowed to bring the costs of goods down while on the campaign trail, but so far inflation has increased to three percent since his inauguration.
On his Truth Social on Saturday, the president shared a story telling Americans to “shut up about egg prices.”
In her announcement of the administration’s five-part plan to combat rising egg prices, agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins suggested Americans should raise chickens in their backyards.
She also announced plans to invest about $1 billion to address the issue, including at least $500 million towards expanding biosecurity measures at egg-producing farms and another $400 billion to pay farmers for their lost flocks.
According to Emily Metz of the American Egg Board, a marketing organization funded by the industry, farmers are struggling to repopulate their chickens because even young birds are dying from the flu. Recovery time from the deaths could take anywhere from six months to a year, she told The Wall Street Journal.
There have not been any signs of significant outbreaks of bird flu detected in nearly two weeks, according to the USDA.
“This respite has provided an opportunity for production to make progress in reducing recent shell egg shortages. As shell eggs are becoming more available, the sense of urgency to cover supply needs has eased and many marketers are finding prices for sport market offerings are adjusting downward in their favor,” the report stated.