Faced with this situation called "eggflation", consumers are getting together to find alternative solutions, sometimes on the edge of legality and sometimes revealing depths of creativity and humour
Up to 10 dollars for a dozen eggs! That's what some people found themselves paying for a carton of eggs in California. In the United States, the avian flu as well as the soaring prices of energy and raw materials are indeed weighing very heavily on the price of eggs displayed in stores. Faced with this situation called "eggflation", consumers are getting together to find alternative solutions, sometimes on the edge of legality and sometimes revealing depths of creativity and humor.
The 'enthusiasm' generated by this post is indicative of the high prices and relative scarcity of eggs on the market. Prices have soared by 60% in a single year through the end of 2022, giving rise to a succession of puns in the American press around the term "egg" such as "eggcited." The context itself has prompted the creation of a new term, "eggflation" to refer to the surge in egg prices.
Eggs have become so expensive that web culture has taken to creating various memes about them, comparing them to cars at astronomical prices or creating images like eggs in the refrigerator under lock and key. Some videos also suggest that chickens are at risk of being stolen because of the situation. Others draw parallels with the underground "speakeasy" bars where alcohol was sold under the table in the United States because of Prohibition in the 1920s.
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That said, there are producers who sell dried eggs produced through a freeze-drying technique. And these are proving to be a hit with consumers. This technique allows the eggs to retain a certain texture and taste even after processing. The process involves freezing the eggs at -23 to 40 degrees Celsius before slowly heating the material to remove moisture.
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Another explanatory factor in the US's extreme eggflation situation is a shift away from purchases of meat—which has become more expensive due to soaring energy and raw materials—to eggs as a source of protein. According to the American farmers' advocacy organization Farm Action, egg producers may be taking advantage of this to inflate prices.
However, we should hear less about "eggflation" in the coming months. There are encouraging signs of a reversal in the upward trend of egg prices. In the wholesale market, i.e., reserved for professionals, the price index fell a few days ago by 60% compared to the peak at the end of last year.