Iowa-Linked Egg Price Fixing Case Ends in $3.3M Settlement, 53 Million Eggs Donated

By John Damon | Just The News Iowa

Three major egg producers, including companies with ties to Iowa, have agreed to pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs to settle allegations that they conspired to artificially inflate egg prices for nearly three years. The settlement, filed Monday in Iowa federal court, resolves claims brought by the U.S. Justice Department and 17 states, including Iowa.

The complaint accused Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman's Egg Ranch of coordinating bids submitted to Urner Barry Publications, a company that sets the benchmark index for egg prices. That index, in turn, determines what grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers pay for <