A shocking new report now blames the nationwide egg crisis on greedy companies that increased their prices long before the bird flu outbreak. Among them is a single egg producer from Mississippi, which has made billions from egg sales since 2023. Cal-Maine is alleged to have increased profits sevenfold to $1.2 billion by upping prices and pocketing an extra $1 off every dozen sold. Retailers then pass the price increases on to their customers. Cal-Maine’s shareholders especially benefited, with the company’s stock roughly three times what it was at the start of the bird flu outbreak. Researchers call this “outrageous at a time when food costs are skyrocketing and more families than ever can’t put food on the table.” Cal-Maine crams a million hens into each of its 43 production centers, mostly in the South, which is a farming approach that raises the risk of disease. This isn’t the first time Cal-Maine has been spotlighted for pushing up prices. The company was accused in 2022 for price fixing at the start of the Avian flu. The company does not appear to have addressed the claims in a press release or on social media.
