Egg prices got all the attention, but U.S restaurants are sounding the alarm on a bigger ingredient crisis that could hit menus hard; here's all about it

With the recent spike in egg prices, fueled by outbreaks of bird flu, restaurants now have another headache: beef prices are increasing, and they worry about how it will affect their menus, according to Daily Mail. Based on recent figures, prices for beef and veal have jumped 5.5% higher in January than they did in the same period last year, more than inflation in the rest of the American economy, Daily Mail reported.

Why Beef Prices Are Up?

There are several reasons behind this beef price surge, among them a record-low US beef herd, which is being hit by recurrent droughts and shifting weather conditions, as per Daily Mail. Ranchers are sounding an alarm that cattle take a much longer time to become market-ready compared to other proteins such as chickens or eggs, resulting in supply chain delays, according to the report.
Moreover, the US has prohibited imports of Mexican cattle upon the identification of the New World Screw Worm, reported Daily Mail. Although the US Department of Agriculture is diligently trying to remove the ban and rebuild cattle stocks by 2027, ranchers and restaurants are already experiencing the strain, and customers will soon feel the brunt in their restaurant bills, as per the report.

How Will This Affect Restaurant Prices?

Increases in prices will probably be forwarded to consumers by way of menu price hikes, reported Daily Mail. If beef keeps on going up in price, classics such as McDonald's Big Mac price could rise to approximately $6, Texas Roadhouse sirloin could run more than $15, and Shake Shack's double cheeseburger could cost over $10, as per Daily Mail.

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Shake Shack CFO Katie Fogertey said, «We don’t hedge our beef costs, and this is the biggest chunk of our food