The Department of Justice, alongside over a dozen state governments, has announced a proposed settlement with three of the nation’s top egg producers over allegations of price manipulation. This resolution aims to address accusations that these companies colluded to artificially alter egg prices.
This settlement follows an investigation by federal antitrust authorities and state attorneys general into claims that Cal-Maine Food, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman’s Egg Ranch engaged in coordinated efforts to hike daily egg price quotations artificially. The alleged price manipulation, which spanned from June 2022 to March 2025, reportedly resulted in increased costs for both retailers and consumers.
According to the Justice Department, these companies are major suppliers of eggs to supermarkets, restaurants, and various retailers throughout the United States.
“We are pleased that these settlements will ensure egg prices remain competitive, ultimately benefiting consumers across the nation,” stated Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Sarrine of the Justice Department’s antitrust division in a statement released on Tuesday.
As part of the settlement terms, the egg producers are obligated to donate a total of 53 million eggs to food banks and community organizations within the participating states. Additionally, they will collectively pay $3.3 million to those states, according to details from a June 29 complaint filed by federal and state authorities.
The complaint accuses Cal-Maine, Hickman’s and Versova of conspiring to submit bids to influence egg price quotations, creating the impression there was a greater demand than there actually was. The daily quotations from Urner Barry, a market reporting company, serve as a benchmark for the egg industry, shaping what retailers pay for eggs nationwide, according to the suit.
“Every year, billions of eggs are sold with prices based on Urner Barry’s price quotations,” the Justice Department said in its statement.
Cal-Maine, a Mississippi company that bills itself as the nation’s largest egg producer and distributor, denied any wrongdoing in a statement, calling the allegations “baseless.”
Iowa-based Versova said it is “pleased the U.S. Department of Justice investigation has been resolved without any finding of or admission of wrongdoing.”
Arizona-based Hickman’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Justice Department said the settlement, which must still be approved in court, will deter the companies from communicating with competitors to influence egg prices.
The cost of eggs has been a pain point for American shoppers in recent years. Prices hit record highs last year amid an avian flu outbreak that decimated the country’s poultry flocks. A carton of large Grade A eggs now sells for an average of $2.19, down from $6.23 in March 2025, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
In its statement, Cal-Maine cited bird flu and the COVID-19 pandemic as the main drivers of volatility in egg prices. Versova also pointed to the bird flu and said it was not responsible for setting prices.
“Egg farmers in the United States don’t set the wholesale price of eggs, which are a commodity product,” Versova said in a statement. “At Versova, most of our eggs are sold on grain-based contracts, which means the price our customers pay fluctuates based on the costs of grain inputs for hen feed.”
Alain Sherter