politics
Egg Producers Settle Price-Fixing Lawsuit With $3.3 Million Payment and 53 Million Egg Donations, Admit No Wrongdoing
Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman’s Egg Ranch and Versova Holdings reached settlements last week with the Department of Justice and 17 states. The agreements include payments and donations but no admission of wrongdoing.
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Three major egg producers reached settlements last week with the Department of Justice and 17 states over allegations they conspired to inflate egg prices between 2022 and 2025, Washington Examiner reported. Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman’s Egg Ranch and Versova Holdings agreed to pay $3.3 million total to the states and donate 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofit organizations.
The companies admitted no wrongdoing.
The lawsuit claimed the producers manipulated industry price benchmarks through coordinated bidding strategies and private trades, which influenced wholesale egg prices nationwide. Wholesale prices peaked at $6.23 per dozen in March 2025 before falling to an average of $2.19 per dozen by May 2026.
The Department of Justice opened an investigation into the companies last year and ordered them to preserve documents.
The 17 states that joined the lawsuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said food banks in the state will receive 7 million eggs under the settlements.
“I will continue to hold any corporation accountable if they violate our laws to raise prices on Texans,” Paxton said.
“These three major egg producers conspired to profit off antitrust violations that raised the prices of eggs for Americans. Now, they will have to donate over 7 million eggs to food banks across Texas. ” The proposed settlements require approval from the U.S.
