Grocery shortages still exist. What items are in short supply around Erie?

Walking into a grocery store in late 2021 or early 2022 was a little like opening a birthday present from your Great Aunt Matilda.

You weren't sure what you were going to get.

Global supply chain problems, avian influenza and issues at a baby formula manufacturing plant combined to cause shortages. There were times when it was almost impossible to find basic items like toilet paper or eggs.

A recent trip to four local grocery stores showed there are still scattered shortages of certain items, but the situation has improved dramatically in early 2023. Store shelves are nearly as full as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Let's look at some of the shortages, and one item that is much more expensive than it was six months ago. I visited the following grocery stores last week: Aldi, 2647 W. 12th St.; Giant Eagle, 2067 Interchange Road; Wegmans, 6143 Peach St.; and Tops Market, 712 W. 38th St.

Eggs. This is the food everyone is talking about. I found plenty of them at each local grocery store, but I felt some sticker shock when I saw the cost.

More: Eggs are up 50% from last year. How much is inflation hitting your holiday meals?

The nationwide average price of a dozen eggs has increased from $2.70 in June to $4.20 in December, due to the lingering bird flu outbreak, and soaring feed, labor and fuel costs. It was as low as $1.33 in August 2020.

The price for a dozen large eggs varied at the four stores I visited from $3.49 (Wegmans) to $5.29 (Giant Eagle).

More: Fraud, ID theft reports decline slightly in Erie County so far in 2022: David Bruce

Children's cold and flu medicines. Blame this one on Erie's early flu and respiratory syncytial virus seasons.

Store supplies of children's antihistamines, decongestants and pain reliever/fever reducers have been in short supply since October. Only Wegmans had an adequate stash of the over-the-counter medications, and Tops Markets was limiting customers to two medications at a time.

Doctors have been advising families who can't find medicines to use home therapies such as cold compresses and humidifiers.

Adult cold and flu medicines. These shortages are less severe and vary by store.

Wegmans had a limited supply of cough drops, especially the less expensive brands, while Giant Eagle only had a few bottles of DayQuil and NyQuil on its shelves.

All four stores had plenty of pain relievers, decongestants, antihistamines and cough syrups.

More: David Bruce: Appeals delay claim payments of Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement

Baby formula. It's been almost a year since the Food & Drug Administration warned parents not to feed their children certain powdered infant formula products from Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan, infant formula production facility due to bacterial contamination.

Though the supply of baby formula is better than it was in spring 2022, several of the grocery stores I visited still have limited amounts of formula. Nationwide, the supply of formula is 12.5% below previous levels, compared to 40% below just after the FDA warning and subsequent product recall.

Oscar Meyer bologna. This shortage is a mystery. I spotted just a couple of packages of Oscar Meyer bologna among the four grocery stores.

I can't find a reason for this particular shortage. There was a December 2022 recall of another Oscar Meyer product, a ham and cheese loaf, but nothing about its signature food item.

Perhaps parents are simply choosing other lunch meats for their families.

Incandescent light bulbs. This shortage has nothing to do with COVID-19, supply chain problems or bird flu.

The federal government is phasing out the sale of old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs in favor of longer lasting LED and compact flourescant light bulbs.

Stores will not be permitted to sell them starting in July, but Giant Eagle and other grocery stores are already notifying customers of dwindling supplies.

Have a consumer question you'd like us to help you with? Leave a message with David Bruce at 814-870-1736, send an email to david.bruce@timesnews.com or send mail to 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Grocery shortages still exist in Erie