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Justice Dept. Settles Egg Bid-Fix Case, $3.3M, 53 Million Eggs

7/1/2026

Summary

DOJ Sues Eggs

The U.S. Justice Department and 17 attorneys general sued Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman's Egg Ranch and Versova Holdings for coordinating egg bids from June 2022 to March 2025.
The settlement requires a $3.3 million payment, donation of 53 million eggs, Cal-Maine’s 30 million eggs and $1.5 million, and Utah’s 125,000 cartons and $93,000.
The agreement bans future bid coordination, requires compliance programs and officer appointments, and will be posted for a 60-day comment period before court approval.

Summary

Foodbank Receives Eggs

Vermont Foodbank will receive 915,000 eggs and $56,000 in settlement payments.
The eggs, worth about $150,000 at $1-$2 per dozen, will arrive in three or four truckloads over several months.
Carrie Stahler said price hikes have cut egg donations, making shelf stocking difficult.
Attorney General Charity Clark said estimating the financial impact on Vermonters is hard and noted the in-kind settlement is unusual but has precedent in opioid cases.

Summary

Regulators Impose Settlement

The settlement requires each firm to adopt antitrust compliance programs, appoint a dedicated compliance officer, and pay $1.5 million, while Cal-Maine Foods denied the claims as “baseless.”
Versova Holdings said the settlement lets it move on and focus on business.
Former Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi said food affordability is a top priority.
Regulators allege the firms secretly communicated from June 2022 to March 2025 to influence Urner Barry’s egg price benchmark.

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DOJ Sues Eggs

The U.S. Justice Department and 17 attorneys general sued Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman's Egg Ranch and Versova Holdings for coordinating egg bids from June 2022 to March 2025.
The settlement requires a $3.3 million payment, donation of 53 million eggs, Cal-Maine’s 30 million eggs and $1.5 million, and Utah’s 125,000 cartons and $93,000.
The agreement bans future bid coordination, requires compliance programs and officer appointments, and will be posted for a 60-day comment period before court approval.

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