The dramatic rise in US egg prices, widely cited as a hallmark of recent inflation, was not solely the result of a historic avian flu outbreak.
US authorities have identified collusion among three of the country's largest egg producers as a significant driver of the cost surge, according to a report by Le Temps.
The findings challenge the prevailing narrative that supply shocks from the bird flu epidemic were the exclusive cause of the price explosion.
By leveraging their market dominance, these producers were able to push prices higher than what the supply disruption alone would have dictated.
This development adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing inflation debate in the United States.
US inflation recently accelerated to its highest level in more than three years, with the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rising 4.1% year-on-year in May.