Egg companies made $1.22 billion as Americans paid over $6 a dozen; now they'll donate 53 million eggs in DOJ settlement

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and a coalition of 17 states have reached settlement agreements with three of the country's largest egg producers: Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman's Egg Ranch. The authorities alleged that the companies coordinated information submitted to Urner Barry Publications to influence a benchmark used to determine wholesale egg prices, a practice they deny. The settlement requires the companies to donate over 53 million eggs to food banks and pay a combined $3.3 million. Cal-Maine will donate 30 million eggs and pay $1.5 million, Versova will donate 20 million eggs and pay $800,000, and Hickman's will donate 3.25 million eggs and pay $1 million. In addition to the financial penalties, the companies must implement stronger antitrust compliance measures and are prohibited from communicating with competitors about pricing. The agreements come after egg prices reached record highs in 2025, driven by an avian influenza outbreak, and have since fallen sharply. Critics argue the penalties are insufficient given the companies' record profits, with Cal-Maine reporting approximately $1.22 billion in net profit for 2025.

(Source：The Times Of India)