- Egg prices are soaring, straining many food banks’ ability to meet demand for low-income families.
- The recent spread of avian influenza has diminished egg availability.
- Many food banks have pivoted to cheaper proteins, like canned meat and peanut butter.
Krystal Kabela has received frequent phone calls at the eastern Iowa food bank she manages: people are searching for eggs.
“People know that the eggs come on Friday, so that makes Friday afternoons and Saturdays really busy days,” she told Business Insider.
The price of eggs is soaring, frustrating shoppers and stretching budgets for small businesses that rely on them. As eggs see their biggest monthly price spike in a decade, some safety net organizations — like CommUnity Crisis Services, where Kabela works — are struggling to keep their shelves stocked. This comes as millions of low-income Americans rely on food banks as a free supplement to traditional grocery stores.
Kabela said her organization serves about 1,000 households per week in-house, and at least another 100 households through its mobile pantry service. The number of egg donations has dwindled in the past couple of years, she said. Now, the 450 dozen eggs it can stock each week barely last a few days.
“Everybody wants them,” she said.
Some food banks have stopped buying eggs as prices spike
Eggs are one of the most accessible and affordable forms of protein, especially for low-income Americans. However, the recent spread of avian influenza has diminished egg availability. A high demand for eggs, especially for seasonal baking, also means prices are unlikely to go down anytime soon.
US egg prices rose by 15.2% from December to January, the biggest month-over-month increase since June 2015, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs hit an all-time high last month, at $4.95 a dozen. And, egg prices contributed to overall inflation rising to 3% year over year in January — contributing to steeper grocery bills for shoppers.
This is having a major impact on food banks, which about 50 million Americans relied on in 2023 for at least some of their meals, per the nonprofit food bank network Feeding America.
The food banks that BI spoke with said that they stock their shelves with a combination of food they purchase via grants or financial donations and items directly given by community members or suppliers. Eggs are rarely donated and almost always need to be purchased, the organizations said.
City Harvest, which provides food to New York City soup kitchens and food banks, told BI that it recently paused all egg purchasing due to rising costs. Director of Procurement and Inventory Controls Max Hoffman said that City Harvest has pivoted to stocking less costly protein sources like peanut butter and ground beef.
Similarly, Kate MacDonald — the director of communications at Rhode Island Community Food Bank — told BI in a statement that her organization hasn’t been able to purchase eggs since December. The food bank is a central distribution hub for a network of 147 smaller pantries and meal sites across the state, she said.
In June 2024, MacDonald said a case of several dozen eggs was $16.50 for the food bank to purchase. In October, it was up to $48. And, in December, she said the cost per case had spiked to $61.50.
“We will likely not have eggs on the shopping list for our agencies until the cost goes down some,” MacDonald said.
Although Kabela said her Iowa food bank still stocks eggs every week, it is becoming more difficult to meet demand. She said the farm that the bank relied on to provide eggs has largely stopped donating because the bird flu is shrinking its supply.
Kabela added that a lack of eggs is especially challenging for food bank patrons because they are so versatile. Protein is vital for muscle and brain function. While a single egg has six grams of protein — compared to about 30 grams for four ounces of chicken — they are among the only protein sources that double as a healthy meat alternative and baking ingredient.
“We always have shelf-stable protein, whether it be canned tuna or chicken or salmon or peanut butter,” she said. “But I don’t know that anything really takes the place of eggs.”
Food insecurity is on the rise
The egg affordability problem sweeping America underscores an ongoing issue for food banks: grocery costs are rising, and national hunger levels aren’t getting better.
About one in seven US households — or 47 million people — lived in a food insecure household in 2023, the latest data available, Feeding America found. The national food insecurity rate that year was up 38% over 2021.
Food banks also play a specific role in combating food insecurity. Social safety programs like SNAP are typically restricted to households that live at or below the federal poverty line, which is $32,150 annually for a family of four. Local food banks and pantries are often the only source of food assistance for low-income Americans who don’t qualify for SNAP.
Not every food bank is experiencing the same impact of rising food prices. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts told BI that it has not yet experienced an interruption in stock or a price increase from its egg supplier.
Still, Kabela said she continues to see a significant — and growing — reliance on food banks in her community. Rising costs, like the price of eggs, make it harder for organizations like hers to meet demand.
“There are so many people in need,” she said.
Are you open to sharing how your grocery budget with us? If so, reach out to allisonkelly@businessinsider.com.
