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.

Wholesale prices for large eggs hit $5.57 per dozen in the Midwest in December, which was up 150% from a year ago, according to commodity data firm Expana. Prices were even higher in California, reaching a record high of $8.85 per dozen.

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.

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.

A growing nationwide egg shortage driven by bird flu means omelets are a little smaller at Pete’s Breakfast House on Ventura’s Main Street. The shortfall has sent egg prices everywhere rocketing in a trend that has accelerated during the holidays.

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.

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,