Egg producers reach federal and state settlement after price-fixing probe

The U.S. Department of Justice and over a dozen states have reached a proposed settlement with three leading egg producers to end claims of price collusion. The agreement follows an investigation alleging that Cal-Maine Food, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman's Egg Ranch artificially inflated daily egg price quotations from June 2022 to March 2025. This alleged manipulation led to increased prices for retailers and consumers nationwide.

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We are proud that these settlements will keep egg prices competitive and keep money in the hands of consumers across the country.

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will collectively donate 53 million eggs to food banks and community organizations in participating states. They will also pay $3.3 million to these states. The Justice Department stated that these settlements will help keep egg prices competitive and benefit consumers.

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Every year, billions of eggs are sold with prices based on Urner Barry's price quotations.

The lawsuit accused the companies of conspiring to influence egg price benchmarks set by Urner Barry, a market reporting firm. These quotations significantly impact what retailers pay for eggs across the U.S. The Justice Department noted that billions of eggs are sold annually with prices based on these benchmarks.

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baseless

Cal-Maine Foods, the nation's largest egg producer, denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations "baseless." Iowa-based Versova expressed satisfaction that the investigation concluded without an admission of guilt. Hickman's Egg Ranch did not immediately comment. The settlement requires court approval and is intended to prevent the companies from coordinating with competitors to influence egg prices.

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I'm pleased the U.S. Department of Justice investigation has been resolved without any finding of or admission of wrongdoing.