Key facts
- Three major egg producers have agreed to a settlement with the DOJ and 17 states.
- The companies are accused of colluding to inflate egg prices between June 2022 and March 2025.
- The settlement includes a $3.3 million payment and a donation of 53 million eggs.
- The alleged price manipulation involved influencing Urner Barry Publications' daily egg price quotations.
- Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman's Egg Ranch are the companies involved.
- None of the companies admitted wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Three of the nation's largest egg producers have agreed to a proposed settlement totaling $3.3 million and the donation of 53 million eggs to resolve federal and state antitrust claims. Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman's Egg Ranch are accused of colluding to artificially inflate daily egg price quotations between June 2022 and March 2025, impacting prices for consumers and retailers.
The investigation, led by the Department of Justice and attorneys general from 17 states, alleged that the companies coordinated their bids to Urner Barry Publications, a market reporting company whose daily quotations serve as a benchmark for the egg industry. This manipulation, prosecutors claim, created an impression of higher demand than reality, leading to increased prices.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Sarrine stated that the settlements will help keep egg prices competitive and benefit consumers. New York Attorney General Letitia James added that the producers manipulated the market to increase profits at the expense of working families and businesses.
Cal-Maine Foods denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations baseless and attributing price volatility to factors like avian flu and the COVID-19 pandemic. Versova also pointed to bird flu and grain costs as primary drivers of price fluctuations, stating that egg farmers do not set wholesale prices. Hickman's Egg Ranch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The settlement, which requires court approval, also mandates that the companies adopt antitrust compliance programs and cease communicating with competitors about pricing and bidding strategies. The Justice Department noted that price quotations and consumer prices dropped significantly after the investigation began and companies were instructed to preserve documents in March 2025.