Latest news with #BirdFlu
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Waffle House drops egg surcharge after 5 months as prices plummet across the US
There's no need to pay egg-stra anymore. Waffle House announced 'egg-cellent news' for their customers' wallets. The casual dining chain is dropping the temporary 50-cent surcharge for eggs from its menu after five months, effective immediately. 'Egg-cellent news…as of June 2, the egg surcharge is officially off the menu. Thanks for understanding,' Waffle House wrote in a post on X. Advertisement Earlier this year, the Georgia-based restaurant chain — which has more than 2,000 locations across 25 states — implemented a 'temporary targeted surcharge' tied to the 'unprecedented' rise in egg prices, rather than increasing the price of all menu items. But with the national average wholesale price of eggs being down 7% — at just $2.54 per dozen last week, according to the latest United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Egg Markets report — Waffle House no longer has to upcharge. Advertisement Earlier this year, Waffle House implemented a 'temporary targeted surcharge' tied to the 'unprecedented' rise in egg prices. GIANRIGO MARLETTA/AFP via Getty Images The removal of the increased prices from the menu comes almost five months after Waffle House released a statement announcing the 50-cent-per-egg surcharge. 'The continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (Bird Flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices,' Waffle House said in a statement on February 3. 'Consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions.' 'While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived, we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,' the statement added. 'We are continuously monitoring egg prices and will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.' Advertisement The removal of the increased prices from the menu comes almost five months after Waffle House released a statement announcing the 50-cent-per-egg surcharge. Waffle House The ongoing H5N9, or bird flu, outbreak began globally in 2020 and made its way to America in 2022, with cases spiking earlier this year and leading to supply chain issues. As of July 3, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported 70 bird flu cases in the U.S., with 41 being from dairy herds (cattle) and 24 from poultry farms. The other five were from exposure from other unspecified animals or unknown sources. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said egg prices were still more expensive than they were a year prior, but the price has gone down enough for chains like Waffle House to drop their surcharges, CNN reported. Advertisement The USDA rolled out a five-pronged strategy to combat the bird flu outbreak back in March, which could have improved the availability and wholesale pricing of eggs over time. 'Egg prices are falling, farmers are getting the relief they need, and we are seeing meaningful progress in the fight against avian flu,' USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement at the time.
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Waffle House drops egg surcharge: Does that mean prices are going down?
The Waffle House Index may be a useful indicator for more than extreme weather. The diner chain announced on July 1 that its dropping an egg surcharge put in place four months ago, signaling a decline in egg prices from the all-time highs seen earlier this year. "Egg-cellent news…as of June 2, the egg surcharge is officially off the menu," said the post. "Thanks for understanding!" USA TODAY reached out to Waffle House to confirm the change. Why was Waffle House charging extra for eggs? A 50-cent per egg surcharge was implemented at Waffle House's roughly 2,100 locations across the U.S. in early February to offset higher-than-usual prices resulting from a "continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (Bird Flu)," the company said at the time. Waffle House serves around 272 million eggs per year, according to its website, well surpassing even its titular waffles, of which it sells just 124 million. The temporary charge was employed to avoid increasing prices across other menu items, it said. Are egg prices are down? Egg prices reached a high of roughly $6.22 per dozen on average in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The stage for this uptick was set when the current bird flu outbreak began in the U.S. in 2022 and the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, killed off egg-laying poultry en masse, leaving fewer chickens behind to maintain the supply. By Feb. 3, when Waffle House implemented its surcharge, the virus had infected roughly 150 million poultry across all 50 states since January 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because of the spread, infected birds have been selectively slaughtered across the U.S., including sometimes millions of birds at a single location. Why are egg prices falling? Here's what we know. Egg prices have begun to ease from the highs earlier this year, but their overall prices are still 40% higher than last year, according to the May Consumer Price Index. "Families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said in a June 26 statement about the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) response to bird flu. "While we are proud that over 900 biosecurity assessments have been conducted to date, resources remain available, and we are urging poultry farmers of all sizes to get your assessments done today before a potentially challenging fall.'
Straits Times
02-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
South Africa reports H5N1 bird flu on poultry farms, international agency says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Test tubes are seen labelled \"Bird Flu\" words in this illustration taken, June 10, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo PARIS - South Africa has reported the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, on two poultry farms in the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Wednesday. The cases were the first in South Africa since September last year, Paris-based WOAH said in a notification. South Africa's poultry sector has been recovering from an outbreak in 2023 that led to the loss of a third of the national chicken flock. The industry has been wary of a resurgence of the diseases amid criticism of the rollout of a government vaccination programme. Bird flu has ravaged poultry flocks worldwide in recent years, including in the United States, and top poultry exporter Brazil this year reported its first known case on a commercial farm. In South Africa, the new outbreaks killed 1,150 poultry birds on the affected firms, Paris-based WOAH said, citing South African authorities. This included 300 birds killed on a farm in Tswaing in North West province and 850 birds that died on a farm in Mkhondo in Mpumalanga province. REUTERS
Glasgow Times
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Inside rare bird's life nesting in Glasgow University tower
The Glasgow Peregrine Project watches over and helps nurture the family that has been nesting at the site since 2022. The project recently announced that the happy couple Bonnie and Clyde had two chicks, Jack and Victor; however, they've experienced a recent tragedy. Unfortunately, one of the chicks, Jack, contracted Bird Flu and had to be put to sleep to ease his suffering. The remaining chick, mum, and dad are doing well, though, and the team say they're 'carrying on with their usual antics'. John Simpson, 62, from the Glasgow Peregrine Project (Image: Colin Mearns) READ MORE: Mack rebuild 'at risk' from 02 ABC plan says Glasgow School of Art Bonnie and Clyde are the only pair of Peregrines in the city. They are part of a population of only 1,000 across the country, with numbers dropping in the West Coast especially. Local recorder for The Scottish Ornithologists' Club, John Simpson, helped establish the project, which is run alongside the University and several other conservation groups, including the RSPB. John's been studying Peregrines for over 45 years and has a real passion for the birds and helping spread awareness and engagement. Speaking about the project, John, 62, said: "It's the bizarrest thing on the planet, these peregrines sitting at the top of the tower, it's like something out of Batman. "And then their view! It's like the tea towel of Glasgow, all the landmarks are laid out in front of them. "We always joke that it's the most prestigious address in the city. You're in the penthouse suite. "Gilbert Scott Tower, University of Glasgow, you're in the West End, you know, it would cost you a fortune to get a house up there. "And there we have the city's apex predator nesting, it's phenomenal." Pictured at left is Clyde, right, Victor (Image: Colin Mearns) READ MORE: Plans for O2 ABC site recommended to councillors despite 'negative impact' John explains that peregrines are at the top of the city's food chain and will feast on "public enemy number one, the pigeon," among other things. They can get a bit of bad press for their diet, but John hopes that people coming to see the raptors will have their opinions changed. He explained: "If it were lions or tigers or leopards, they wouldn't be getting the same bad press for some reason or other. But this is our apex predator in the city. "This is a remarkable opportunity to get people engaged in looking at ecology and the breeding biology of these birds." Mum, Bonnie and Dad, Clyde, have had a few chicks every year, and when two male chicks were born in April, their names came very quickly. John said: "The mum's named after Bonnie Scotland and the dad, River Clyde. "So when we were ringing the chick and found out it was two males, someone shouted out 'Jack and Victor', and we thought - perfect, bang on... two lads living up Osprey Heights." Inside rare bird's life nesting in Glasgow University tower (Image: Colin Mearns) READ MORE: Glasgow university graduate 'set to join Love Island line up' Caring for the birds is no easy task. With each venture up to their nest via abseil costing the project £2,500, they keep their visits as few as possible. They did rush to try to help Jack, and an emergency abseil took place in an attempt to save him. Now the solo chick in the nest, Victor, is getting plenty of attention from Bonnie and Clyde and has started flying around the campus. He'll be there for a few months while he grows into an adult, and people have been flocking to see the trio. The project runs regular watches (Image: Colin Mearns) They run weekly peregrine watches on Saturday from 10am - 12noon, and also provide scopes and binoculars to view the peregrines. The watches are located outside of the Hunterian Art Gallery and are free for anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of the rare birds. You can follow the project on social media to see regular updates from the nest and beyond, and find out more on their website, here.
STV News
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Peregrine falcon chick dies from bird flu weeks after hatching
A peregrine falcon chick that hatched in Glasgow has died after contracting bird flu two months after hatching. Glasgow Peregrine Project confirmed that the chick, named Jack, died on Wednesday. The young falcon, named after the character from TV comedy Still Game, hatched on top of the University of Glasgow tower in April alongside his brother Victor. The project had been monitoring the bird since Tuesday, when staff noticed he had become subdued and wasn't eating. Glasgow Peregrine Project After noticing his condition deteriorating, a rescue project saw the chick lifted from his nest to receive medical treatment. Glasgow Peregrine Project After noticing his condition deteriorating, a rescue project saw the chick lifted from his nest to receive medical treatment. Scottish SPCA determined it was likely that Jack had contracted bird flu and said he needed to be put down to 'ease his suffering'. Followers of the project commented, saying they had seen Jack 'struggling and suffering'. Parents Bonnie and Clyde have nested on the university's rooftop since 2022. Glasgow Peregrine Project said they are continuing to monitor the family, adding that Victor, Bonnie and Clyde seem unaffected. It urged anyone who sighted the birds or had any significant observations to get in touch. Glasgow Peregrine Project Jack and Victor hatched on April, 27. Glasgow Peregrine Project A spokesperson for the project said: 'It is with sadness that we must report that after pulling out all the stops and effecting a rescue, Jack has passed away. 'The UoG and the entire project team have monitored him throughout the night and worked throughout the day to put the rescue plan in place. Work that would ordinarily be done in a month was done in a day to expedite Jack's care. 'The SSPCA assessed Jack and deemed that he had likely contracted Bird Flu and, sadly, had to put him down to ease his suffering. 'Given this circumstance, we will continue round the clock monitoring of the entire family. Your sightings and any significant observations would be greatly appreciated.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
