By: Kailea Mundorf

Eggs, the second-highest consumed food in the world (Substitute Cooking), are now a luxury considering the recent surge in cost. Prices are at an all-time high this year, averaging at $4.25 a dozen in Maryland grocery stores, compared to $1.79 in Dec. of 2021. 

With the raised price, what was once a given in any refrigerator is now an uncertainty for some. Mt. Hebron senior Rachael Gordon, a family member of four, would consider them a necessity for the average family.

“A lot of things are made from eggs so it would be hard for a family to live without them,” Gordon says. 

However, this epidemic does not just affect families. Local businesses and restaurants are now losing revenue, forced to keep up with the cost of one of their most utilized goods.

For example, Najwan Natour, a Knoxville restaurant owner “serves up to 5,000 eggs every week” (Knox News, 2023), and has no choice but to cave into these prices to match the demand for their dishes. The restaurant’s spending went from approximately $746 in 2022, to $1770 a week just on eggs.

This phenomenon is due to a recent avian flu pandemic, destroying chicken farms, and affecting 58 million chickens. This outbreak started in 2022, and has already reached 47 states causing massive farming and supply chain issues.

However, many are optimistic for a turn around later this year. School counselor Kara Shuman, also a mother of 4, is one of these hopeful souls, and is seeking a shred of normalcy in these abnormal times.

“With 4 kids, we use a lot of eggs in the household — but like everything that’s been happening these past years, I’m just waiting for it to resolve soon,” Shuman says. 

With so many families and businesses being hit with this unavoidable tax, one can be sure that the public is anticipating for this egg-epidemic to be over. The good news is that eggs are still on the shelf, no matter how dramatic of a price. Farms have been hard at work repopulating chicken populations — which should soon be reflected in the grocery stores.