Cracking open the price-fixing scandal behind rising egg prices

They call it the Wall Street of Eggs. Officially, it’s the Egg Clearinghouse, and it’s where egg producers flock to sell, buy and trade eggs, helping set market prices that go on to impact the price on grocery shelves.

And in late 2022, egg prices began their rise to then record highs with much of the blame being placed on inflation and a devastating avian flu outbreak.

However, according to an investigation from Wall Street Journal, another cause of rising prices could have been collusion among the industry’s biggest producers.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Patrick Thomas, one of the authors of the Wall Street Journal’s investigation, about the scandal and the mechanisms behind the rise of egg prices.

To hear the full conversation, click the audio player above.