topic Re: My eggs are shrinking! in Community Chat

My eggs are shrinking!

SloopJohnB — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:20:18 GMT

Well, not just mine, but eggs in general. Shrinkflation at its finest. I bought my usual carton of a dozen large eggs today at my local Publix. Looking at them closer you would think they were the medium size if not the small size. Looks like I will have to upgrade to the extra large if not the jumbo size to use in my recipes when cooking or baking. Or double up on them. $ign of the time$. 🍳🐔

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

Luvitorleaveit1 — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:26:51 GMT

Yes I notice that as well when I brought my usual dozen or eighteen "large eggs", they looked like small or medium size.

Sign of the times.....shrinking products but not the price unless it's a sale (maybe).

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

Kachina624 — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:28:17 GMT

@SloopJohnB. I, too, have recently noticed that. My extra large eggs look like they were laid by a pigeon.

I don't understand it. Does it cost less to produce a smaller egg, do those chickens eat less, require less care? I thought the USDA had standards for egg sizes.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

Alsace Gal — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:30:07 GMT

@SloopJohnB

Eggs have always been weighed to determine size.

Are they putting heavier eggs in a smaller shell, similar to QVC's vanity sizing?

😀🤣😁

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

RedTop — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:33:28 GMT

For well over a year, my IGA has been selling jumbo eggs at a decent price. $2.19 a dozen last Sunday.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

SloopJohnB — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:33:44 GMT

@Alsace Gal wrote:
@SloopJohnB
Eggs have always been weighed to determine size.
Are they putting heavier eggs in a smaller shell, similar to QVC's vanity sizing?
😀🤣😁

@Alsace Gal Yes, vanity sizing. LOL. Me thinks they are charging us for the Large size when in reality we are only getting the Small or at most, the Medium size. I guess they are getting away with it.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

Luvitorleaveit1 — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:36:16 GMT

I remember when jumbo eggs were like two eggs in one.....they were huge!

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

SloopJohnB — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:36:56 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@SloopJohnB. I, too, have recently noticed that. My extra large eggs look like they were laid by a pigeon.

I don't understand it. Does it cost less to produce a smaller egg, do those chickens eat less, require less care? I thought the USDA had standards for egg sizes.

@Kachina624 I was going to say they look like they came from a Cornish hen. LOL

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

on the bay — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:54:45 GMT

I've noticed that too.

My daughter told me about Happy Eggs. That is the brand name.- They have free range and organic and really happy hens

They are quite large and the color is deep not pale yellow.

They are more expensive.

They also taste like eggs how I remembered years ago.

Probably all organic eggs and some free range are larger than the white cage eggs which really are smaller these days it seems.

I don't always buy eggs but I'm glad I tried these.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

CelticCrafter — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:15:18 GMT

It's not a recent thing, been happening for years.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

on the bay — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:23:40 GMT

These are the ones I tried-so good. Walmart,Target and other stores too.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

Marp — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:30:48 GMT

If you think you are being shorted weigh them using a kitchen scale. Per USDA:

Size tells you the minimum required net weight per dozen eggs. It does not refer to the dimensions of an egg or how big it looks. While some eggs in the carton may look slightly larger or smaller than the rest, it is the total weight of the dozen eggs that puts them in one of the following classes: In descending order, egg sizes are Jumbo (30 oz. per dozen), Extra Large (27 oz. per dozen), Large (24 oz. per dozen), Medium (21 oz. per dozen), Small (18 oz. per dozen), and Peewee (15 oz. per dozen).

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

lgfan — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:33:41 GMT

Everything is shrinking. I notice that toilet paper is also shrinking. In the past when I put on a new role of toilet paper on the holder it would get stuck until you used a certain amount of paper. You can now put a full role of paper and it will move back and forth on the holder.

Before

After

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

4kitties — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:43:35 GMT

Maybe it just depends what farm or facility the eggs come from? I bought some large eggs today from Kroger and I thought they looked larger than large.

I usually buy jumbo for breakfast eggs and the large or extra large for recipes.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

Spacrazy — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:44:21 GMT

@on the bay : You summed it up perfectly. They really are the best. It took my #1 GD moving next door to convince me to change from buying cheap-o. As we would cook together I saw for myself the big difference. The taste by themselves is better and my finished baking product is much better ~ in appearance and taste.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

Mindy D — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:46:00 GMT

@SloopJohnB wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
@SloopJohnB. I, too, have recently noticed that. My extra large eggs look like they were laid by a pigeon.

I don't understand it. Does it cost less to produce a smaller egg, do those chickens eat less, require less care? I thought the USDA had standards for egg sizes.
@Kachina624 I was going to say they look like they came from a Cornish hen. LOL

@SloopJohnB You will have to use more eggs to make the same dish, thus leading to the need to buy more eggs.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

LTT1 — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:51:33 GMT

@lgfan @Mindy D

We will need to buy toilet paper more often too!

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

on the bay — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:52:11 GMT

@Spacrazy ,

I'm so glad you discovered them too, well we both through our wise girls! They really are different aren't they and taste as eggs should and did long ago.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

Burnsite — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 23:23:57 GMT

To On the Bay:

I like Happy Eggs, too. Mine are slightly blue or speckled brown with a lighter brown shell. Both taste wonderful, and both have a very intense, firm yolk.

A few earlier posters have noted that eggs are sorted by weight, not how big they are. I am a Publix shopper like many people in FL and the South, and it's a good store. . . but here is my theory about their eggs, and why I decided to try dramatically different looking eggs.

People switch standard eggs with eggs that have better treatment (free range, sunshine, getting to forage freely (we had chickens when I was little--they do like to peck in the yard). So my theory is that the eggs are switched by shoppers. They move the organic, free range eggs into their generic egg cartons, replacing the organic slots with the factory-farmed eggs. They thereby get a low price for the more expensive eggs.

They can't do this with blue eggs, so no problem. Eggs are so expensive down here that I can see their temptation to do this. I only eat them once in a while, and really can taste a difference, They bake better, too.

The yolks are watery in the factory-farmed eggs. JMO.

This egg switching started happening during the Covid period; and I don't begrudge an egg or two to someone on a fixed income. (All are not switched--usually one or two).

I just wanted to figure out what was happening. I asked the store manager and he said, some people do switch eggs.

But my sister, a teacher whose 2nd job is as a bookkeeper at a Hannafords, said that she thought the staff in the dairy/egg section sometimes switch them out. Apparently, when eggs reach the expiration date, the department is charged back for not selling them. So that could be it, too.

Re: My eggs are shrinking!

SandySparkles — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 23:14:52 GMT

I have noticed it as well!😡 It is frustrating because successful baking is a science, and the size of the eggs used can make or "break" the finished product. It is unfortunate; especially for inexperienced cooks that will not know how to compensate.😐

~~~All we need is LOVE💖