San Antonio businesses facing egg crisis

By the numbers: A dozen large eggs in the South Central region, which includes Texas, hit $8.20 per dozen this week, according to price-reporting service Expana.

• The region's figure was $2.33 in October, before the current wave of bird flu began to spread, per Expana.
• Some local H-E-Bs are selling a dozen organic eggs for over $10, while the cheapest dozen we found, a Hill Country Fare option, costs about $5.60.

Flashback: The South Central region's previous record was $5.61, set in December 2022.

Threat level: The bird flu has affected over 24 million birds in the last 30 days, according to USDA data. The nation's flock is estimated at about 305 million.

• "A good rule of thumb is you need a hen per U.S. citizen," says Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, a supply chain expert for management consultancy Kearney. The U.S. population is about 340 million.

State of play: Trader Joe's is limiting purchases to one carton per customer per day.

• An Axios attempt to place an online order with H-E-B showed a limit of five cartons of eggs, though an H-E-B spokesperson told Axios there are no limits on eggs.
• It's unclear if the limit — though more generous than that of Trader Joe's — is tied to the ongoing egg shortage.

• H-E-B said it remains in good supply of eggs and that it is closely monitoring the situation.

Between the lines: For the first time in at least 40 years, eggs are now more expensive per gram of protein than ground beef, according to January Consumer Price Index data.

What they're doing: Texas chain Taco Palenque is temporarily adding a 50-cent surcharge on tacos and a 75-cent surcharge on burritos with eggs, according to social media posts.

• Bobbie's Cafe adjusted menu prices to offset the costs of eggs, per MySA.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from H-E-B.