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June 30, 2026 / 2:18 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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The Department of Justice and more than a dozen states have reached a proposed settlement with three of the country's leading egg producers to resolve claims that the companies colluded to manipulate egg prices. The agreement comes after an investigation by federal antitrust enforcers and state attorneys general alleged that Cal-Maine Food, Versova/Centrum and Hickman's Egg Ranch coordinated to artificially inflate daily egg price quotations between June 2022 and March 2025, leading to higher prices for retailers and consumers. The companies provide eggs to grocery stores, restaurants and retailers across the U.S., according to the Justice Department. "We are proud that these settlements will keep egg prices competitive and keep money in the hands of consumers across the country," Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Sarrine of the Justice Department's antitrust division said in a statement on Tuesday.As part of the agreement, the companies will be required to provide a combined 53 million eggs to food banks and community organizations in states party to the settlement and pay the states $3.3 million, according to a June 29 complaint filed by the Justice Department and states.The complaint accuses Cal-Maine, Hickman's and Versova of conspiring to submit bids to influence egg price quotations, creating the impression there was a greater demand than there actually was. The daily quotations from Urner Barry, a market reporting company, serve as a benchmark for the egg industry, shaping what retailers pay for eggs nationwide, according to the suit. "Every year, billions of eggs are sold with prices based on Urner Barry's price quotations," the Justice Department said in its statement.
