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.

Egg prices rose to a record high in the U.S. recently, hitting $5.27 a carton. Egg prices will remain high this winter as bird flu cases continue to be detected across Iowa and other major egg-producing states.

Most large-scale egg producers to whom the law would apply have been working toward cage-free operations for up to a decade.

Egg prices across northern Nevada have soared in recent weeks, mirroring a recent nationwide trend driven by holiday demand and the avian flu.A News 4-Fox 11 cr

"The primary driver behind these historic prices is the ongoing spread of avian influenza, which has claimed over 20 million layers during the fourth quarter, a time that also coi

California egg prices continue to climb due to ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. December's statewide average for a dozen large shell eggs reached nearly $9, per a U.S. Department of Agriculture report.