This Popular Grocery Chain Is Imposing Limits on Egg Purchases

If you’re finishing your weekly grocery run with one box unchecked on your list, you’re not alone. Shoppers across the country are having difficulty tracking down eggs, and it’s leading some chains to implement strict purchase limits as supplies tighten. 

Budget-friendly chain Trader Joe’s is reportedly enforcing a strict limit on customers’ egg purchases, as posted signs at grocery locations across the country restrict customers to only one dozen per trip. A serious outbreak of the H5N1 virus, known as the avian flu, is hitting the poultry industry — resulting in supply disruptions where prices are low, and often surging price tags where cartons are available.  

“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 spokesperson Nakia Rohde told KOIN, a local Portland television station, via email. “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.”

Meanwhile, a sign at one New York City outpost read: “Due to the ongoing issues with the supply of eggs, we kindly ask you to limit your purchase to 1 dozen eggs of any kind. We hope to have ample supply soon!” 

Just last week, members of the r/TraderJoes subreddit were championing the national chain for its comparatively low pricing — and judging from the bare shelves shown in social media videos online, it looks like they weren’t alone in their appreciation. Some even report rushing to their local grocer at dawn to secure their dozen. A representative for the chain didn’t immediately respond to our request for further comment.

The grocery realtor is apparently not the only chain monitoring egg sales. According to NBC, bulk-supply favorite Costco is also reportedly responding to customer demand at some locations with a three-dozen limit. Over on TikTok, social media users’ videos pan to extended lines, full-to-the-brim carts, and chaotic scenes of eggs broken on the ground. Costco didn’t immediately respond to our request for comment. 

The poultry industry is feeling the squeeze after months of the outbreak, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports the death of some 136 million hens (around 8% of the egg-laying population) last fall. Prices have likewise skyrocketed to match pace with demand — which has led some restaurants, notably Waffle House, to tack on a temporary surcharge for orders of the breakfast staple. Despite consumer concerns, experts say fully cooked eggs are still safe to consume as the presence of H5N1 in consumer eggs is extremely rare.

“The likelihood that eggs from infected poultry are found in the retail market is low,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously shared in an email statement. “Properly cooking eggs is effective to destroy pathogens, including H5N1.” 

Bird flu has been detected in flocks across all 50 states. Egg shortages began ramping up in early January, and it’s unclear exactly when costs — and retailers’ supplies — might even out. In the meantime, might we suggest stocking up on a few cans of chickpeas, instead?