It's sticker shock, in aisle seven.

The average cost of eggs surged a whopping 16 percent in April, the highest such spike in 50 years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Blame it, the feds say, on the coronavirus.

"This doesn’t raise a red flag, this raises a football field or two or 10 of red flags. Yes, for low income people this is a situation that is intolerable,” said Joel Berg of Hunger Free America.

It's not just eggs.

The report shows consumers paid 4.3 percent more in April for meats and poultry, 1.5 percent more for fruits and vegetables and almost 3 percent more for cereal and bakery items like breads and pastries.

The increases represent a 2.6 percent spike for all groceries in April, the largest one month increase since 1974.

"Some of the increase in food is lack of food supply and some of it frankly is gouging,” Berg said.

Joel Berg has been studying food policy and food prices for decades.

He says the increase in the price of eggs is a staple for most households, is alarming, but not surprising in the middle of a pandemic.

What's alarming, Berg says, is what the increases could mean for the city's food pantries and kitchens, which have seen a surge in demand because so many New Yorkers have lost their jobs during the pandemic.

"If a low income person walks into a pantry or kitchen and the food prices for that pantry or kitchen have skyrocketed they’re going to have less food to give out. They’re either going to put less in the pantry bag, they’re going to have shorter hours of operation, they’re going to be open fewer days or some combination of all three,” said Berg.

And that would be a nightmare for the millions of New Yorkers who have come to depend on them. Still, experts caution the price increases are likely temporary, though shoppers should be prepared to expect them for at least the next several months.