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.
123 Articles
123 Articles
DOJ, State AGs Settle Egg Price Case with Hickman’s and Two Others, No Criminal Charges
California News: Federal and state officials accused three major egg producers, including Arizona-based Hickman’s Egg Ranch, of coordinating bids to manipulate benchmark egg prices during a period of sharp food inflation, but resolved the case through civil settlements requiring $3.3 million in payments, antitrust compliance measures, and more than 53 million eggs for food banks...
Did rising egg prices seem illegal? Turns out, they were
For years, egg prices have been a topic of discussion among Americans, in the media and even in the federal government. People were doing everything they could to offset the costs, from refusing to use real eggs at Easter to purchasing chickens to collect their own eggs. Even the White House faced criticism for using pricey real eggs at its annual Easter Egg Roll. Now, officials say that prices might have been, in fact, higher than they should…
Fox Business
The New York LedgerDOJ reaches settlement with major egg producers over alleged price manipulation
The Justice Department and attorneys general from 17 states announced proposed settlements Tuesday with three of the nation's largest egg producers after alleging they coordinated to manipulate a key pricing benchmark that inflated egg prices for consumers nationwide.Federal officials simultaneously filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman's Egg Ranch and Versova while lodging the proposed settlements, which – if approved…
Egg producers will pay $3.3M, donate 53 million eggs to settle price fixing claims
NEW YORK — The U.S. Justice Department and 17 states reached settlement agreements with three major egg producers this week to resolve allegations that the companies illegally colluded for years to raise prices, including when the cost soared to record highs last year.
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