Trader Joe's Just Updated Its Egg-Buying Policy—Here's What to Know
If you've been to any grocery store lately, you know how scarce and expensive eggs are. While many retailers can't seem to keep eggs on shelves, Trader Joe's has implemented a new policy to ensure stores across the country are stocked. The grocery store chain is limiting how many cartons of eggs customers can buy daily.
"Due to ongoing issues with the supply of eggs, we are currently limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day, in all Trader Joe's stores across the country," Trader Joe's said in a statement to MarthaStewart.com.
Related: Over 30,000 Pounds of Beef Tallow Recalled Nationwide
This decision comes as the demand and price of eggs has increased significantly due to the loss of many egg-laying chickens infected with avian influenza, also known as bird flu. The bird flu is causing outbreaks in wild birds, poultry, and even humans. The newest strain, H5N1, was discovered in 2022 and has dramatically affected the country's supply of chickens and eggs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 159 million wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry, and backyard or hobbyist flocks have been affected by bird flu since 2022. This has led to supply issues throughout the U.S., causing an increase in egg prices.
The latest decision by Trader Joe's to limit the number of egg purchases per customer may help prevent shoppers from stock-piling eggs, giving everyone a fair chance of buying eggs. "We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who need eggs are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joe's," the company said.
Read the original article on Martha Stewart
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
CDC: Bird flu virus that infected Michigan dairy farmer capable of airborne transmission
The strain of bird flu that infected a Michigan dairy farmworker is capable of airborne transmission, amping up concerns about its potential to spark a new pandemic, according to a research letter published in June. In recent years, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has spilled over from birds to a growing number of mammals, including cats, skunks, raccoons, oppossums, rodents and bears. It was first identified in dairy cows in 2024, and then leaped from cows to humans. In May 2024, two Michigan dairy farmworkers contracted the virus. The first reported conjuctivitis, also known as pink eye, as the only symptom. The second Michigan farmworker's symptoms were a little bit different. That person reported upper respiratory tract symptoms, including cough without fever, and eye discomfort with watery discharge. Both recovered. Researchers isolated the virus from a swab used to collect a sample from the eye of one of the infected workers. That virus — clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype B3.13 — was studied to determine how transmissible it is, and the ways it spreads. "Because avian H5N1 viruses cross the species barrier and adapt to dairy cattle, each associated human infection presents further opportunity for mammal adaption," the study authors wrote in "Emerging Diseases," a peer-reviewed journal of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This potential poses an ongoing threat to public health and requires continual surveillance and risk assessment ... to improve our ability to predict and prepare for the next influenza pandemic." Scientists infected ferrets with that type of virus. Six of the infected ferrets were put in the same living space as six healthy ferrets, and within a week, all of them had bird flu, showing that direct contact spreads the disease. Six other healthy ferrets had no direct contact with the infected animals, but were breathing the same air as ferrets with H5N1 bird flu, and inhaled respiratory droplets. Three of those six previously healthy ferrets became infected, the study found, suggesting an airborne infection rate of 50%. Researchers also collected aerosol samples daily from three infected ferrets, and found evidence of airborne virus particles in samples from all three animals. More: Michigan farmers call for H5N1 bird flu vaccines to protect flocks, dairy cows from virus Ferrets have been used for decades in medical research studies, especially those involving flu viruses, because their lung physiology is similar to humans. They also have similar receptors in the respiratory tract that influenza viruses bind to. All of the infected ferrets survived the 21-day study, researchers said, recovering from moderate disease. On average, ferrets infected with H5N1 bird flu lost nearly 10% of their body weight and had fevers. They were lethargic, and had nasal and ocular discharge along with sneezing. Since 2022, there have been 70 confirmed and probable human cases of bird flu in the U.S. One person in Louisiana, who was exposed to wild birds and a backyard flock, died. To date, there have been no reports of human-to-human transmission, according to the CDC. More: Michigan geese, angry owner change protocol for killing flock exposed to bird flu The CDC says the risk to the average American from bird flu remains low, but it's higher for people who work with animals on farms, at zoos and other animal facilities. Contact Kristen Shamus at kshamus@ Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Virus that infected Michigan dairy farmer capable of airborne spread
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
Supermarket chain's popular item may disappear from shelves
There are certain products consumers tend to grow attached to. If there's a specific T-shirt brand that feels good against your skin, that's the one you're going to want to load up on. If a specific water bottle feels comfortable to drink out of and keeps your water at just the right temperature, you're going to want more than one. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter You can stock up on certain products once you find a winner. But with food, that's a lot more difficult. Related: Costco quietly drops popular product, saddens fans Food, by nature, has an expiration date. And that extends to shelf-stable products. It's true that you might buy a box of crackers with a "best by" date that's three months out. And you may even be okay to bust into those crackers six months after buying them without them tasting stale. But eventually, even non-perishable grocery items are going to go bad. You won't necessarily get sick from eating them. But the taste might be off. And that's a bad thing for snack products in particular. Losing a beloved supermarket product can be a huge blow. Even when you're able to find a similar item, if it's something that's a staple on your weekly grocery list, it's hard to say goodbye. And if you have kids who are picky, switching brands could be a problem. Related: Costco members angry over very personal product change That's what makes shopping at grocery stores like Trader Joe's so difficult. Trader Joe's is known for its rotating inventory. But that means you might fall in love with a given product, only to never find it again. And you can't just stock up on food products you really like, because eventually, their quality is going to decline. And in the case of perishable goods, you have even less leeway. While Trader Joe's discontinues products on a regular basis as part of its broad strategy, Aldi may be forced to remove a popular product for a different reason. Mondelēz International, the maker of popular cookie brands that include Chips Ahoy! and Oreo, has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Aldi. Aldi is being accused of copying Mondelēz's packaging, and Mondelēz claims that Aldi's similar packaging is "likely to deceive and confuse consumers." Related: Trader Joe's makes a customer service decision Costco won't Mondelēz is suing for monetary damages and is asking that Aldi be barred from selling its "copycat" versions of Mondelēz's famous cookies. Of course, this isn't the first time Aldi has been called out for producing "knock-off" versions of brand names at a fraction of the price. The budget supermarket chain has created its own version of everything from Goldfish crackers to Velveeta cheese. Aldi is known for selling products made by its exclusive brands that are similar to national brands but priced much lower. This time, however, it may have taken things too far. All you need to do is look at a box of Aldi's chocolate sandwich cookies with vanilla filling to realize that the packaging could easily be mistaken for a box of Oreos if you're grabbing items off the shelf in a hurry. Of course, the upside is that Aldi's version will probably cost you a lot less. But it's easy to see where Mondelēz is coming from. That's bad news not just for fans of Aldi's version of the Oreo, but Aldi fans in general. More retail: Walmart CEO sounds alarm on a big problem for customersTarget makes a change that might scare Walmart, CostcoTop investor takes firm stance on troubled retail brandWalmart and Costco making major change affecting all customers If the chain is forced to pull this product, other food makers might come after Aldi for similar infringements. As a result, a number of your favorite low-cost Aldi products could disappear for good. And while you could stock up in case that happens, you'll want to do so with caution - because while actual Oreos are delicious, and knockoff Oreos are pretty darn good in their own right, stale Oreos are just plain gross. Related: Walmart makes key move to help 'older' Americans The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
RFK-backed ostrich farm fighting H5N1 cull boasted of turning birds into pet food
An H5N1-infected ostrich farm which has become a cause célèbre among animal rights campaigners and the US health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, once boasted of 'rendering' the birds down in vats so that their oil could be used in cosmetics and pet food. Universal Ostrich Farms, located in British Columbia, made headlines earlier this month after its owners claimed they were being unfairly ordered to cull their flock of around 400 birds by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The cull order came after the CFIA said that several of the animals had contracted H5N1, the deadly avian flu virus that has decimated bird populations worldwide and which experts fear could one day jump to humans. Thousands of similar cull orders have been issued to infected farms around the world as the virus has spread, but the Canadian ostriches appear to have won a brief stay of execution after being swept up in the US-Canadian culture wars. A 'Save our Ostriches' campaign launched by the farm's owners has been jumped on by both animal rights activists and MAGA supporters in the US. Some 69 ostriches have died on the farm since an outbreak began in December last year, when PCR testing came back positive for H5N1. The farm's owners demanded the CFIA carry out further testing but their request was denied, and they are now claiming that the remaining birds have developed 'herd immunity,' catching the eye of RFK Jr, who has petitioned to have the birds relocated to Florida for further testing. Scientists have called the proposal both dangerous and irresponsible, given the serious risks any infected birds pose to public health. The farm's new 'Save Our Ostriches' website certainly pulls at the heartstrings but the contrast with the original website, still available through the internet archive, could not be sharper. While the new site urges readers to donate up to $1,000 or more to save the 398 remaining birds, the original site talked of 'processing and rendering' and selling the 'meat, skin and oil' of ostriches all over the world. 'Full vertical integration improves quality, increases efficiency, and boosts profitability,' the original website reads. 'Help save Anna. She's feisty, confident, and always full of attitude,' says the new, MAGA-friendly site today, beneath a cutesy picture of a fluffy and determined looking bird. Ostrich meat is imported and sold in Britain, including at major supermarkets but it is not clear if burgers and steaks from Universal Ostrich Farms were ever sold here. In British Columbia, Katie Pasitney, the daughter of one of the farm's owners, Karen Espersen, and now acting spokesperson for both her mother and business partner Dave Bilinski, has appeared in several emotional videos in recent weeks appealing for public help and support. The farm says the birds have not been used for meat since 2020, and are now mainly involved in medical research – specifically, the extraction of antibodies from ostrich eggs. However, official court documents from the recent dispute with CFIA contradict this claim. They state that 'some level of ostrich sales, along with sales or planned sales of products derived from ostrich fat and eggshells, continued through to at least December 2024'. The H5N1 avian flu virus was first detected in the late 1990s, but has spread rapidly through animal populations since 2020, killing millions of wild and farmed birds as well as a huge range of mammals – including polar bears, rhinos, whales, foxes, as well as domestic pets including cats and dogs. Thousands of poultry farms around the world – including in Britain – have been forced to cull their flocks, causing the price of eggs to skyrocket to unprecedented levels. Last year, the virus 'jumped' into the US cattle chain and since has become endemic. More than 1,000 dairy herds have been infected with the virus, and a fifth of the country's milk supply now contains detectable traces of H5N1. At least 70 people in the US, mostly poultry and dairy farm workers, have also caught the virus, one of whom has died. The virus's exponential spread comes at a time when the Trump administration has dramatically cut back on the government's response to H5N1. Just last week, the administration announced it had cancelled a $766 million contract with pharmaceutical giant Moderna for the mass-production of mRNA bird flu vaccines. The agreement was intended to strengthen the country's pandemic preparedness by diversifying its emergency H5N1 vaccine stocks. RFK Jr, a long-time vaccine sceptic, has repeatedly expressed concerns over the safety of mRNA vaccines despite them having saved millions of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. President Trump has also cut funding to several departments at the US Department of Agriculture and Centre for Disease Control responsible for monitoring and containing the spread of H5N1. It makes RFK Jr's intervention into the Canadian ostriches' fate even more baffling. 'We believe significant scientific knowledge may be garnered from following the ostriches in a controlled environment,' Mr Kennedy wrote in a letter to the head of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Experts say the scientific value of the ostriches is minimal, as similar studies have already been conducted in other parts of the world, and transporting any sickened birds would put people and other farms at risk. In a statement published over the weekend, the CFAI said: '[Our] response to highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic poultry is based on an approach known as 'stamping-out', as defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). 'Stamping-out is the internationally recognised standard and is a primary tool to manage the spread of [H5N1] and mitigate risks to animal and human health as well as enable international trade.' 'Given that the flock has had multiple laboratory-confirmed cases of H5N1 and the ongoing serious risks for animal and human health, and trade, the CFIA continues planning for depopulation at the infected premises'. The Telegraph contacted Universal Ostrich Farms for comment. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
