Eggs: Westside Food Bank (WSFB) is turning to alternative suppliers to try and find eggs as scarce shelves shock customers around the country. WSFB said it has been unable to purchase eggs from their typical sources due to an avian flu outbreak and inflation. Lately, the organization has had to resort to buying the grocery staple from retail establishments outside their usual purchasing from wholesale food brokers, but those sources are also increasingly unavailable. For example, WSFB recently ordered 720 cartons of eggs from a big-box store, but supply chain challenges meant they could only provide 100 cartons.
"It is unfortunate that such an essential item is not as readily available as it once was," Westside Food Bank President and CEO Genevieve Riutort said. "This is such a key ingredient in homes and not being able to provide that to the families we serve breaks my heart."
This struggle comes as WSFB had already reduced egg purchases. In November, WSFB cut egg purchases by 20%, and that jumped to 50% in December because of the soaring costs of eggs.
To accommodate for the egg shortage, WSFB is pivoting to less expensive protein sources, like beans and canned fish and meats. They are encouraging members of the community to help provide nutritious food for people in need by donating on their website, wsfb.org/donatenow.
