Eggs are displayed for sale in a Manhattan grocery store in New York on February 25, 2025.
Spencer Platt | Getty images
The US Ministry of Justice has opened an investigation into potential antitrust problems linked to the price of the rise in eggs, The Wall Street Journal Reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the issue.
The survey, which is at its beginnings, includes if large egg producers have worked together to increase prices or reduce the offer, depending on the report.
The news occurs while the price of eggs has skyrocketed, leading certain restaurants to announce menu changes and grocery reports with empty shelves. For example, Denny announced last month that he spent increase in egg costs customers in the form of an additional cost.
In the latest report on the consumer price index, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the price of eggs 53% from one year on the other. On a seasonal adjusted basis, the cost of eggs increased by 15.2% between December and January. This has marked the highest increase in the egg index since June 2015.
Price increases seem at least partly due to an avian flu epidemic that has led egg producers to reduce their populations. However, defense group Agricultural action sent a letter last month to the Doj and the Federal Trade Commission, calling for an investigation into other causes.
CNBC has not confirmed independently that this investigation is underway. The Ministry of Justice did not immediately respond to the request for CNBC comments.
