U.S. Egg Producers Agree to $3.3 M Settlement and Donate 53 Million Eggs

The U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of 17 state attorneys general reached a settlement with three major egg producers—Cal‑Maine Foods, Versova (Centrum) and Hickman’s Egg Ranch—over an antitrust investigation that alleged the companies coordinated bidding from June 2022 to March 2025 to inflate the daily egg‑price index published by market‑reporter Urner Barry. The alleged scheme is said to have contributed to record‑high retail egg prices during the 2022‑2025 bird‑flu‑driven supply shortages.

Under the proposed agreement, the producers will pay a combined $3.3 million in civil penalties and donate more than 50 million (approximately 53 million) eggs to food banks and nonprofit organizations in the participating states. The companies must cease any communication that could affect pricing, adopt antitrust‑compliance programs, appoint compliance officers and cooperate with ongoing oversight. No admission of wrongdoing was required.

State officials announced specific allocations: Hawaii may receive about 1 million eggs, Vermont 915,000, Connecticut 1.5 million, New York roughly 4.9 million, and other states will receive portions proportionate to their participation. The settlement aims to lower future egg prices and provide immediate food‑security assistance to families across the country.