Big Egg Producers Settle Price-Fixing Probe for $3.3M

Three of the nation's largest egg producers have agreed to a $3.3 million settlement after a multi-state investigation, which included Iowa, found they colluded to keep egg prices artificially high. Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman's Egg Ranch will pay the combined sum and donate 53 million eggs to food banks, but critics say the penalty is a mere slap on the wrist compared to the billions in profits the companies earned while everyday Americans struggled with grocery inflation.

How the Egg Price-Fixing Scheme Worked

The settlement concludes a 15-month investigation led by the Department of Justice and attorneys general from 17 states, including Iowa. Investigators found that executives from Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman's Egg Ranch coordinated from June 2022 to March 2025 to manipulate the daily price index for eggs.

New York Attorney General Letitia James highlighted one blatant example of this collusion. In December 2022, the CEO of Hickman's emailed Versova and Cal-Maine executives, urging them to submit