DOJ, States Settle Egg Price-Fixing Lawsuit with $3.3M Payments
DOJ and 17 states settle egg price-fixing claims with $3.3M and new conduct rules.
Why it matters: Settlements like this highlight antitrust risks and compliance requirements for legal teams advising agri-food clients or corporations with market influence.
- DOJ and 17 state attorneys general sued Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman's Egg Ranch, and Versova Holdings over price-fixing from 2022-2025.
- Companies agreed to pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofits.
- Egg prices hit a record $6.23 per dozen in March 2025 amid alleged coordinated bidding.
- Settlements require antitrust compliance programs and bar competitor communication on pricing and bids.
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alongside 17 state attorneys general filed a civil lawsuit against major egg producers Cal-Maine Foods Inc., Hickman's Egg Ranch Inc., and Versova Holdings LLC, alleging coordinated efforts to inflate egg prices. The misconduct reportedly spanned from June 2022 until March 2025, centered on manipulating daily price quotations published by Urner Barry Publications through synchronized bidding strategies.
Following the litigation, the parties reached settlements requiring the companies to collectively pay $3.3 million and donate approximately 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofit organizations nationwide. The agreements also impose rigorous antitrust compliance programs to prevent future collusion and forbid communications between competitors regarding pricing and bidding strategies.
This action comes against a backdrop of record-high egg prices, with average U.S. prices peaking at around $6.23 per dozen in March 2025. Notably, prices declined sharply after the egg producers became aware of the DOJ investigation in the same month.
Cal-Maine Foods, which reported a $1.22 billion profit for fiscal year 2025, is among the producers held accountable. New York Attorney General Letitia James stated, "When powerful corporations collude behind the scenes to raise prices, working families suffer the costs." Former Acting Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ Antitrust Division Omeed A. Assefi added, "These settlements resolve years of conduct that dragged on Americans' finances and their everyday lives." Cal-Maine Foods CEO Sherman Miller expressed a focus on moving forward beyond the settlement.
This case underscores the importance for legal counsel across sectors to incorporate robust antitrust compliance and risk management, especially in industries prone to coordinated conduct and market influence. The settlement serves as a reminder that federal and state enforcers monitor and act on conspiracies affecting consumer prices.
By the numbers:
- $3.3 million — total settlement amount paid by egg producers
- 53 million eggs — donated to food banks and nonprofits under settlement
- $6.23 per dozen — peak average U.S. egg price in March 2025
- $1.22 billion — Cal-Maine Foods' 2025 fiscal year profit
Yes, but: Specific details about how the companies coordinated bidding strategies and the timeline for implementing compliance programs have not been publicly disclosed.
What's next: Legal teams should monitor the rollout of mandated compliance programs and any ongoing enforcement actions related to antitrust in the agricultural sector.