Egg Producers Will Pay $3.3M and Donate 53 Million Eggs to Settle Price Fixing Claims
The companies will pay $3.3 million and donate about 53 million eggs as part of a settlement that requires antitrust compliance measures.
- On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice and 17 states reached a $3.3 million settlement with Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman's Egg Ranch over alleged illegal price manipulation that "artificially increased" egg costs for consumers and retailers.
- Investigators alleged the three companies "secretly communicated" from June 2022 through March 2025 to coordinate bidding activity and influence daily egg price quotes published by Urner Barry, a benchmark service widely used in supply contracts.
- Beyond financial penalties, the settlement requires firms to donate over 53 million eggs to food banks nationwide, with Maryland receiving more than 2 million eggs and $120,000 in support funds for community organizations.
- While the companies denied wrongdoing, Cal-Maine Foods CEO Sherman Miller attributed price surges to "temporary supply shocks" including avian influenza and high inflation rather than collusion, though Versova said it aims to "put this matter behind us."
- Farm Action President Angela Huffman criticized the settlement as a mere "business expense" for multi-billion-dollar corporations, though the agreement mandates producers adopt antitrust compliance programs and appoint officers to monitor future operations.
173 Articles
173 Articles
Egg producers reach state and federal settlement over price fixing...
The agreement comes after an investigation by federal antitrust enforcers and state attorneys general alleged that Cal-Maine Food, Versova/Centrum and Hickman's Egg Ranch coordinated to artificially inflate daily egg price quotations between June 2022 and March 2025, leading to higher prices for retailers and consumers. Three major egg producers have reached a $3.3 million settlement to resolve allegations of price fixing after being sued by the…
The Washington Monthly Was Right About Egg Prices
When egg prices soared between 2022 and 2025, the Washington Monthly reported that something seemed afoot. Yes, the bird flu was wiping out egg-laying hens, but egg prices rose much more than economists would predict given the decrease in supply. We reported that dominant egg corporations may be manipulating a price index tied to most commercial egg contracts. On Monday, the Department of Justice and a group of bipartisan state attorneys general…
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
West Hawaii TodayHawaii due to receive 1M eggs from price-fixing settlement
Hawaii may be getting 1 million eggs due to a settlement with three of the nation’s largest producers over illegal price fixing, according to the state attorney general’s office. The post Hawaii due to receive 1M eggs from price-fixing settlement appeared first on Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
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