- Three major egg producers (Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, Hickman’s Egg Ranch) settled price-fixing claims.
- They allegedly colluded to artificially inflate egg prices from June 2022 to March 2025.
- Settlement includes $3.3 million in payments and donation of 53 million eggs to food banks.
- Companies must adopt antitrust compliance programs and stop communicating with competitors on pricing.
- Egg prices soared to record highs in March 2025 ($6.23/dozen) due to bird flu and alleged collusion.
- Prices dropped significantly after the Justice Department investigation began in March 2025.
- None of the companies admitted wrongdoing; Cal-Maine called allegations 'baseless'.
- Advocacy groups criticize settlement as insufficient for meaningful accountability.