It's time to crack down on it.
Gouging complaints about illegal egg and poultry prices in New York have risen by more than 840% in 2025 amid the recent outbreak of avian flu.
The New York Attorney General's office was hit by 151 complaints about egg price rifts from January 1 to March 10, and office officials told the Post.
“It's always going,” lamented Sandy Rubin, 62, a Manhattan shopper, over allegedly gouging in price. “If they can find a reason to raise prices, they're going to do that.”
“I miss eggs,” said Bob Kandel, 81, a resident of Turtle Bay.
“I haven't kept eggs for a few weeks,” added Sarah Robertson, 35, of Manhattan. “I have a toddler. I want to make eggs for her, but I'm not doing that in principle and everything that's happening politically.”
It is up to AG's office to determine whether a reported price gouging instance is actually against the law or just against the sticker shock, and businesses that have been found to be price gouging face a penalty of up to $25,000 for each violation.
The office has not issued a single violation to any of the companies reported for egg or poultry price gouging in 2024 and 2025, officials said.
Egg prices hit a record average of over $5.89 per dozen this month (from $1.48 in 2020).
“Eggs are an essential food staple in households across the state, and New Yorkers should not pay ridiculous amounts just to support their families,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement in January that he was warning residents during their birth.
This situation has led restaurants like Denny and Waffle House to add additional fees to their egg dishes, and prices for classic bacon egg and cheese sandwiches have skyrocketed.
Elsewhere, Big Apple's Bodegas sells “loose” eggs to those who can't afford a full carton.
Under state law, New York vendors, retailers and suppliers are prohibited from increasing prices of important goods and services at “overly high prices during market disruptions arising from emergencies,” the Attorney General's Office said.
Law-protected goods and services include food, water, medicine, gasoline, generators, batteries, flashlights, hotel accommodations and transportation.
In 2021, James secured a settlement with Hilladale Farm, one of the nation's largest egg wholesalers, to paint eggs during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, more than 1.2 million eggs were delivered to the New York Food Pantry.
The recent complaint comes as 166 million birds across the country were slaughtered to limit the spread of the virus after the cases were discovered, killing them as egg-soaked chickens.
“Avian flu has affected poultry farms and is causing a nationwide shortage, but this is not an excuse for businesses to dramatically raise prices,” James added in a January statement.
“My office is monitoring the situation,” AG said. Please report excessive prices to my office. ”
