Uncover the Hidden Costs and Solutions in the Egg Market
Egg Prices on the Rise: The Impact of HPAI
Egg prices have been on an upward trajectory, and industry experts foresee this trend persisting. As seen in 2023, the combination of seasonal price hikes during the holidays and the disruption in egg supply caused by bird flu has led to elevated prices. Kevin Bergquist from the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Sector points out that prices have generally remained above 2023 levels and often exceeded those from 2022 when HPAI really hit the egg market hard. This has significant implications for consumers and the grocery industry.Wholesale egg prices saw a nearly 55% jump in November, but it doesn't necessarily mean consumers are paying the same at the grocery store. There is a wide variation in prices. According to the Consumer Price Index, grocery prices rose by 0.5% in November, with four out of the six major grocery store food groups seeing cost increases. Eggs showed the largest increase by a significant margin, with prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rising by 1.7% and eggs alone increasing by 8.2%.The Role of Retailers in Price Adjustments
Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Chief Agricultural Economist Dr. Michael Swanson emphasizes the importance of the consumer price as it is what consumers directly see. Many retailers are slow to adjust prices on staples like milk and eggs, which bring consumers into the store. They use these categories to help with their overall pricing. Sometimes, they make larger margins, and sometimes they take negative margins in the short term to avoid upsetting consumers with big changes.Before the large bird flu outbreak in March 2022, flock numbers were at a level that supported lower egg prices, with the wholesale price being less than $1.50 per dozen. However, the outbreak disrupted the market, leading to record egg prices in December 2022. The average price corrected to a lower level in 2023 as producers started rebuilding their flocks. But again, bird flu re-emerged in late 2023 and into 2024, resulting in under-supplied egg markets. Producers still haven't been able to fully rebuild the total egg-laying flock due to the recurring outbreaks this year.This Pennsylvania farm's unique approach of renting chickens to customers provides an interesting perspective on how to deal with the high cost of eggs. It shows that there are alternative ways to address the issue and potentially find some relief in these challenging times for the egg market.Discover the Truth About Starbucks' Vegan Food
Avocado Spread: A Disappointing Offering
Ham patipak/Shutterstock shows that Starbucks has an avocado spread on its menu. However, our taste testers found it to be the worst among the 13 vegan-friendly foods. To preserve it, the spread includes flavors like lime juice, sea salt, garlic, and a touch of spice, making it taste more like guacamole than actual avocado. It's a bummer as it's the only vegan option aside from the typical butter and cream cheese for bagels. Truthfully, it's better to eat it plain.
The main issue with the avocado spread is its texture. Closer to a purée than mashed avocado, it's too smooth and thin to match the avocado toast you make at home. It's like spreading guacamole on bread instead of fresh avocado.
Other Vegan Options
FarisFitrianto/Shutterstock reveals that if you don't mind the guacamole-like flavor, you can order an everything bagel with the avocado spread. But for those who don't like it, a plain bagel is a better choice. Starbucks also offers vegan-friendly oatmeal, usually made with water and dairy-free. Asking for one of the dairy-free milk options like almond, soy, or oat can provide a creamier result. Oat milk is likely to give the best outcome.
Although Starbucks once carried other vegan-friendly foods like a chickpea protein box and strawberry overnight oats, most of the options now come in the form of snacks like bagged nuts, chips, granola bars, and dried fruit strips. Our taste testers' favorite vegan-friendly food item is the whole grain oatmeal. We hope there will be more savory hot menu items added in the future. Until then, Dunkin' might be a better option for breakfast with its almond milk latte and a variety of bagels, English muffins, avocado toast, and warm hash browns.