Mississippi-headquartered Cal-Maine Foods, the world’s largest egg producer, has reached a $1.5 million settlement with the Department of Justice following allegations that it manipulated prices. The company will also donate 30 million eggs to food banks across 17 states as part of the agreement.
Cal-Maine was part of an overarching $3.3 million settlement that included a trio of poultry companies, with the others being Versova (Iowa), and Hickman’s Egg Ranch (Arizona). In total, 53 million eggs will be doled out to charitable entities.
“No product more quintessentially represents affordability than the price Americans pay for eggs,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said. “These actions prove this Department’s continued commitment to protecting competition and providing real relief for everyday Americans’ pocketbooks.”
According to Cal-Maine, the settlement follows a 15-month-long investigation into allegations that the three companies engaged in a coordinated effort to use a 2025 bird flu outbreak to artificially inflate egg prices, causing shoppers to have to pay more for products at the grocery store.
Cal-Maine was a member of a cooperative with the other two companies, but officials say it exited in May 2024 prior to and unrelated to the initiation of the price-fixing investigation. Cal-Maine officials further assert that the company cooperated fully in the comprehensive review process and maintains that it did not play a part in price fixing and that accusations to the contrary are baseless.
On top of the $1.5 million going to the plaintiffs and 30 million eggs being sent to food banks, Cal-Maine must also appoint an antitrust compliance officer to monitor internal behavior and cooperate with ongoing government oversight.
“We are pleased that this agreement enables us to move forward so we can devote our full attention to what matters most: delivering affordable, high-quality eggs and egg-based prepared foods to consumers nationwide, while helping ensure a reliable domestic supply of a nutritious, everyday staple that families depend on,” Cal-Maine Foods President and CEO Sherman Miller said.
The 17 states that sued the companies are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch did not join in suing the local company.
