Thieves made off with 100,000 eggs from an organic supplier in Pennsylvania this weekend as the price of the breakfast staple continues to rise amid a worsening avian flu outbreak.
The Pennsylvania State Police said the eggs were taken from a trailer at the Pete & Gerry’s Organics warehouse in Antrim Township in Franklin County around 8:40 a.m. on Saturday.
The stolen eggs had a retail value of roughly $40,000 (or $4.80 per dozen).
“Pete & Gerry’s is aware of a recent incident in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and we are actively working with local law enforcement to investigate,” the egg supplier said in a statement. “We take this matter seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible. Due to the ongoing investigation we cannot comment any further on this matter.”
A nationwide shortage caused by the outbreak among livestock has lead to a 37% spike in egg prices, according to the Consumer Price Index. The average price per dozen eggs nationwide hit $5.29 in January, more than double than a year ago.
The epidemic began in 2022 and has killed about 136 million birds, according to the USDA.
In a related move, Waffle House announced Tuesday it was tacking on a 50-cent per-egg surcharge to its menu.