The New York Times reports on how the "tripling in price of a dozen regular eggs in many parts of the country — to an excess of $3 — has prompted various lawsuits aimed at egg producers and sellers.
"Amid a variety of cases of inflated prices all across the United States, those focused on the humble egg are among the most sweeping, despite what at first glance appears to be a relatively modest sum.
"The Texas attorney general and a group of private individuals in California filed suit separately in late April against the largest egg producer in the United States for what they call excessive, unfair, illegal profits during the pandemic.
"The California lawsuit also threw in other producers, giant supermarket chains like Whole Foods, Costco and Trader Joe’s, and major egg wholesalers, for a total of 26 defendants."
The story notes that "California law sets a maximum 10 percent price increase for goods during a state of emergency, which Gov. Gavin Newsom declared on March 4. The Texas law lacks a specific parameter, but the spirit is similar. Gov. Greg Abbott first declared a state of emergency on March 13.
"Eggs are a cheap source of protein, which makes them especially important with millions added to the unemployment rolls every week and with meat becoming scarcer."
