Police in Pennsylvania are scrambling to crack the case after 100,000 organic eggs were stolen from the back of a trailer over the weekend, as egg prices in the U.S. continue to skyrocket.
The poached eggs, estimated to be worth US$40,000 (nearly C$57,276), were in a distribution trailer outside Pete & Gerry’s Organics in Greencastle, Pa., when someone broke into it around 8:40 p.m. ET on Feb. 1, according to reports.
“We take this matter seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible,” Pete & Gerry’s said in a statement.
An investigation is underway into the huevos heist and the Pennsylvania State Police Department is urging anyone with information regarding the theft to call the Chambersburg bureau.
Police did not say how someone was able to take 100,000 eggs without anyone noticing or if they have any potential leads in the hard-boiled case.
According to the egg company’s website, Pete & Gerry’s Organic sets “a higher standard for farming practices and animal care across an entire industry,” which “doesn’t happen without ruffling a few feathers — we squawk the squawk and walk the walk.”
The company works with more than 200 independent, family-owned and operated farms located across New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
The egg theft comes as egg prices in the United States continue to rise in price following a relentless outbreak of bird flu that is devastating poultry farms and forcing farmers to kill millions of chickens.
The average cost of a dozen large eggs was US$4.15 in December 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This marks a 37 per cent increase from the previous year. Egg prices could go even higher, with the United States Department of Agriculture predicting costs to rise 20 per cent in 2025.
—With files from Global News’ Katie Dangerfield