Egg prices are soaring, breaking new records as the bird flu outbreak grows. Why it matters: No food item has been as much of an inflation poster child like eggs, and their prices often give a clue about the economic environment.

The price of wholesale eggs have skyrocketed across the United States amid the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. Wholesale prices for large eggs hit $5.

Egg prices are soaring, breaking new records as the bird flu outbreak grows. Why it matters: No food item has been as much of an inflation poster child like eggs, and their prices often give a clue about the economic environment.

If you've been to the grocery store lately, you've likely noticed the price for eggs has not only gone up, but they're not always easy to find.

Bird flu continues to play a part in higher egg prices in California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a Dec. 27 report, said a dozen large shell eggs in the state rose to $8.97. "Demand for shell eggs posted a slight rise into the last two weeks of the year,