Over 20 Million Eggs Recalled As Prices Fall

Forbes

a day ago

Even as egg prices drop, consumer confidence isn't cracking back so easily.
Egg prices are finally falling. After two years of whiplash at the grocery store—first from avian flu, then inflation, then panic—the May Consumer Price Index showed eggs continuing their slow descent back toward affordability. But just as shoppers might be feeling a little more stable about their morning scramble, an egg recall due to has many doing a double take at the carton. It's the kind of moment that reminds us that food security isn't just about supply. It's about trust—and that part takes longer to repair.
Earlier this month, August Egg Company recalled shell eggs distributed in Florida after environmental sampling revealed possible contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis, according to the FDA. The recall was relatively limited in geographic scope, but its timing was potent. Shoppers who have just begun to exhale after months of sticker shock were remindedthat lower prices don't always equal peace of mind. A product as simple and foundational as eggs—used for everything from morning meals to baking staples—is still carrying the baggage of the last two years.
The CPI shows egg prices down year-over-year, following a dramatic run-up during 2022 and 2023. But the chart doesn't tell the whole story. On the shelf, prices have remained historically high compared to what consumers remember as 'normal,' and even modest relief doesn't erase the collective memory of limit signs and $7 cartons.
The latest USDA Egg Market Report backs this up. While advertised retail prices for conventional caged large white eggs dropped 16% to $3.34 per dozen this month, the national average remains elevated. And price movements vary dramatically by region. California's benchmark for large shell eggs recently fell to $3.49 per dozen—but only after peaking above $10 earlier this year.
Meanwhile, demand for shell eggs in early June was 'well below where it has been measured in the past,' according to the USDA's Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News division. It's not just economics. There's a feeling hanging in the air—and it's not entirely gone even as promotions return.
We're not just buying eggs—we're still reacting to the possibility of not being able to. The recall is a reminder that stability is fragile. So is the supply chain itself.
Despite the drop in consumer prices, egg producers are still under strain. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has wiped out over 36 million laying hens so far in 2025 alone, according to the USDA, representing a more than 10% loss in the national flock. That's after an already devastating 2024, when another 40 million birds were lost, half of them in the final quarter of the year.
Those losses ripple far beyond the farms. They've reshaped retail inventory, shifted which eggs get featured in weekly grocery ads, and raised questions about the long-term resilience of both conventional and cage-free production systems. Even as the number of non-organic cage-free layers grow the system is still balancing recovery against consumer volatility.
In some markets, wholesale prices are rising again as supply tightens. In some markets, carton prices dropped while loose egg prices climbed again—proof that 'falling prices' isn't the full story. Inventory levels are rising in some regions but are still down year-over-year in others. Supply is no longer in free fall, but it isn't steady either.
For many shoppers, the egg case is more than just a line item—it's a gauge of how broken or mended our food system feels. And that sense of brokenness doesn't dissipate just because prices tick down. The contradiction of 'falling CPI, rising anxiety' is emblematic of a larger emotional lag in consumer behavior. We don't just remember the inflation—we remember what it felt like to not know if we could get what we needed.
That's why food recalls still cut deep. They activate a muscle memory of uncertainty. And they complicate the story that government data is trying to tell us: that things are getting better.
Some consumers have shifted their behavior permanently. Interest in backyard chickens surged during the worst of the egg crisis—and while not everyone stuck with it, the idea that food security can be homemade hasn't disappeared. Nor has the instinct to double-check expiration dates or skip eggs entirely when a headline breaks.
Even large-scale food manufacturers are adjusting. Some have slowed production lines in response to carton demand spikes, while others are sitting on inventory, waiting for the next pricing swing. The market is active but also cautious—a reflection of the same sentiment many households are carrying.
When consumers see eggs on sale again, it's tempting to believe the crisis has passed. It's one thing to see $3.49 on the shelf—it's another to remember when you had to call ahead to see if they had eggs at all. But price is only part of the picture. In the aftermath of both inflation and contamination, trust is a harder commodity to rebuild. From backyard coops to cautious cart swaps, shoppers are still negotiating their relationship with a product that was once a given. And while the CPI reports may offer economic relief, what consumers feel—in their habits, hesitations, and household rituals—tells the deeper story.