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Big egg producers artificially inflated prices as Americans struggled to buy groceries, must now pay $3.3M: DOJ
New York Post • • business
Key Points:
- Three major US egg producers—Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman’s Egg Ranch—have agreed to pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs after a Justice Department and multi-state investigation found they artificially inflated egg prices from June 2022 to March 2025.
- The investigation, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and the DOJ, revealed the companies secretly communicated and used tactics like "spoofing" to manipulate the daily egg price index amid egg shortages caused by bird flu outbreaks.
- Egg prices soared during this period, reaching nearly $9 per dozen in early 2025, severely impacting consumers and businesses, with some NYC stores even selling single eggs due to affordability issues.
- The proposed settlement requires the companies to cease price manipulation, implement compliance measures, and cooperate with state oversight, pending federal judge approval.
- While the companies deny wrongdoing—Cal-Maine and Versova reject the allegations, and Hickman claims the misconduct occurred before its acquisition—they have agreed to the settlement to move forward.
