Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration filed a lawsuit against California on Wednesday, accusing the state of driving up egg prices nationwide through its regulations.

"The State of California has contributed to the historic rise in egg prices by imposing unnecessary red tape on the production of eggs," the lawsuit claims.

According to the Department of Justice, California's laws – intended to reduce animal cruelty and mitigate the risk of foodborne illness – violate the Egg Products Inspection Act passed in 1970, which mandates national uniformity in egg safety standards.

The lawsuit also claims that only the federal government has the authority to regulate the quality, inspection, and packaging of eggs.

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The policies in question prohibit farmers from using "commonly accepted agricultural methods that helped keep eggs affordable," the DOJ said in a statement.

California has passed several laws related to eggs and chicken farms, including initiatives in 2008 and 2018 requiring that hens must be kept in enclosures where they can "lie down, stand up, fully extend its limbs, and turn around freely."

Trump has made the price of eggs a lodestar for his presidency so far. After a sharp rise in costs last year, he made it a frequent point of attack against then-President Joe Biden, and has since repeatedly boasted that prices are down since he took office.

Despite his claims, bird flu outbreaks have kept costs high by severely impacting the supply of eggs.