Due to rising egg costs brought on by the avian flu, Waffle House stated that it will be imposing a $0.50 fee on all menu items that contain eggs at its more than 2,000 locations.
On Monday, the surcharge became operative.
The comfort food chain claimed in a statement that the highly contagious illness that has impacted the poultry population and resulted in an egg shortage was the cause of the extra. The Agriculture Department’s most recent analysis of the egg markets shows that since December, more than 13 million hens have been lost or killed due to the avian flu pandemic.
Along with the usual consumer demand for eggs over the winter holiday season, market analysts and economists have pointed to the avian flu as the main cause of the price increase.
“Consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions,” the statement from Waffle House Inc. stated.
Due to the increase in egg prices, the franchise stated that the $0.50 increase “is a temporary targeted surcharge” and that it “will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.”
“While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived, we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,” the franchise stated.
Finding avian flu cases is important for the recovery of the food business and preventing the virus from spreading.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has encouraged labs to ascertain if hospitalized patients have the flu virus or only seasonal influenza within 24 hours of admission in order to aid with bird flu studies.
Although many hospitals have been sending out large quantities of flu samples for testing every several days, this advice has been in effect since last fall. By the time test results are received, patients are frequently already discharged home, according to Dr. Nirav Shah, a senior advisor and acting principal deputy director at the CDC.
Shah stated at a news briefing last month that it becomes increasingly difficult to pinpoint a possible source as time passes and recollections deteriorate. This can also imply that their close connections might not be eligible for Tamiflu or other prophylactic drugs.
According to the CDC last month, the seasonal flu is currently spreading throughout the United States, particularly in the West, across the Midwest, and deep into the Southeast.