Overview
- Egg producers including Cal-Maine Foods and Rose Acre Farms have been ordered to pay $17.7 million in damages to food manufacturers Kraft, Kellogg, General Mills and Nestlé for a price-fixing conspiracy.
- The jury found that the egg producers conspired to limit the domestic supply of eggs to increase prices, causing damages between 2004 and 2008.
- The egg producers allegedly used animal welfare guidelines as a pretext to keep supply low and prices high.
- The awarded damages could be tripled under U.S. antitrust law to more than $53 million.
- Both Cal-Maine Foods and Rose Acre Farms have expressed disappointment with the verdict and are considering an appeal.