Wholesale Egg Prices Jump 38%

Another consequence of the latest salmonella scare: The price of breakfast has jumped.

Since the first salmonella case was reported, buyers have dished out 38 percent more cash for their eggs, according to the Des Moines Register. The Iowa paper finds that the wholesale price of a dozen eggs is up to $1.35 from $0.98 on Aug. 13, when Wright County Egg was first linked to the salmonella outbreak.

More than half a billion eggs have been affected by the current recall. Food and Drug Administration officials said Monday that there is no evidence a massive outbreak of salmonella in eggs has spread beyond two Iowa farms, though a team of investigators is still trying to figure out what caused it.

FDA officials said they do not expect the number of eggs recalled 550 million to grow.

The number of illnesses, which can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems, is expected to increase. The federal Centers for Disease Control has said there could be as many as 1,300 salmonella illnesses linked to the eggs. The CDC said that for every case reported, there could be 30 or more unreported cases.