Egg Producers Settle Price Fixing With Paltry Fine And Egg Donations
The U.S. Justice Department and 17 states have reached settlement agreements with three major egg producers—Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman’s Egg Ranch—to resolve allegations of illegally colluding to inflate egg prices between June 2022 and March 2025. The companies are accused of coordinating bids to Urner Barry Publications, an index crucial for determining wholesale egg prices, which allegedly resulted in higher costs for consumers. While none of the companies admitted wrongdoing, they will collectively pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofits to settle the claims. The proposed settlements, which require court approval, also mandate that the companies implement antitrust compliance programs and cease communications with competitors on pricing and bidding strategies, aiming to prevent future market manipulation.
John Q. Hosedrinker