The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against several major egg producers, including Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman’s Egg Ranch, and Versova Holdings, alleging that they conspired to manipulate consumer prices. The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department's Antitrust Division on June 30, 2026, claims that these companies coordinated their bidding strategies to influence price benchmarks used in the wholesale egg market.
According to the complaint, executives from the involved companies communicated through text messages, emails, and phone calls to manipulate price reporting by Urner Barry, a market publisher whose benchmark prices are widely utilized in the grocery and restaurant sectors. The lawsuit cites instances where executives discussed coordinated bids and strategies to influence market prices.
Federal prosecutors allege that the companies executed private egg trades at inflated prices to support higher benchmark prices. The complaint indicates that the alleged coordination led to record-high egg prices before a sharp decline following the announcement of the Justice Department's investigation in March 2025.
The lawsuit also details that retail egg prices increased significantly over the past few years, with a 32.2% rise in 2022, followed by smaller increases in subsequent years. The Justice Department has proposed settlements that would prevent the companies from discussing bidding strategies and require them to implement antitrust compliance programs.
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward stated that the actions reflect the Department's commitment to protecting competition and ensuring affordability for consumers. The lawsuit seeks court orders to prevent the alleged conduct and enforce the proposed settlements, with the companies set to respond to the allegations in court.