Trump Administration Blames California for High Egg Prices
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the state of California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state officials, claiming that the state’s laws — including Proposition 12 — impose burdensome red tape on the production of eggs and poultry products nationally.
Compliance with California’s Proposition 12, which bans the sale of pork and egg products from animals in crowded pens and cages, became mandatory after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against an appeal in 2023 by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation. However, efforts to dismantle the animal welfare-based law have been ongoing since its approval in 2018.
According to DOJ’s complaint, California’s laws and regulations impose costly requirements on farmers that in turn have the effect of raising egg prices for American consumers. DOJ alleges that these laws prohibit farmers across the country from using commonly accepted agricultural methods that previously helped keep eggs affordable. California’s laws also reportedly stand opposed to the Egg Products Inspection Act, which sets standards to ensure that eggs and egg products are properly labeled and packaged, and pre-empts state laws that impose additional regulations.
[RELATED: Food Prices Continue Familiar Pattern of Volatility]
“Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens, and restore American prosperity.”
“California has gone rogue and caused real harm to consumers under its cage-free egg commitments,” added U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “By not allowing consumer choice, Californians are forced to buy more expensive eggs. California’s actions under Proposition 12 fly in the face of federal jurisdiction and regulation over food production and safety under the Egg Products Inspection Act. It is one thing if California passes laws that affects its own state; it is another when those laws affect other states in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Thankfully, President Trump is standing up against this overreach.”
The Center for the Environment and Welfare (CEW) is also applauding the Trump administration’s effort to nullify California regulations. The think tank has been trying to dismantle Prop 12 since its conception. In May, it even launched a public education “Food Price Fix” campaign that urged Congress to stop what the CEW called the “far-reaching consequences” of Prop 12.
Meanwhile, Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund, have issued their own statements regarding the lawsuit.
“California has prohibited the sale of cruelly produced eggs for more than a decade — a law that has been upheld by courts at every level, including the Supreme Court. Blaming 2025 egg prices on these established animal welfare standards shows that this case is about pure politics, not constitutional law,” said Sara Amundson, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Humane World Action Fund. “The Trump-led Justice Department is now choosing to ignore voters in red, blue and purple states alike who have rejected the cruelty of confining hens in cages so small they can’t even spread their wings. To call these commonsense animal welfare laws a ‘regulatory burden’ is not just dishonest, it’s an insult to millions of Americans.”
"In response to voter and consumer demand, over 45% of the U.S. egg industry is already cage free. Rather than accepting this reality, the Department of Justice is using our tax dollars to fight a battle that's already been settled," said Kitty Block, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Humane World for Animals. "This is a Justice Department misadventure that ignores the interests of the egg industry, retailers and consumers — all of whom have embraced the cage-free future. Avian influenza and other factors drove up egg prices, not animal welfare laws.”
The highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, outbreaks sparked supply and demand volatility at the beginning of the year. Egg shortages led several retailers, including Trader Joe's, Costco and Whole Foods Market, to impose purchasing limits at their respective stores.
This past January, Progressive Grocer invited Emily Metz, president and CEO of the Chicago-based American Egg Board, to its TWIG Podcast to discuss the bird flu crisis and going cage-free, among other industry issues. The full interview can be accessed below.
