Overview

• A federal jury in Illinois has ruled that several major egg producers conspired to limit the U.S. supply of eggs to raise prices between 2004 and 2008.
• The lawsuit was originally filed 12 years ago by large food manufacturing companies including Kraft Foods Global, Inc. and The Kellogg Company.
• The jury found that the egg suppliers exported eggs to reduce the overall supply in the domestic market and limited the number of chickens through means including cage space, early slaughter and flock reduction.
• The egg suppliers who participated in the conspiracy were Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., United Egg Producers, Inc., United States Egg Marketers, Inc. and Rose Acre Farms, Inc.
• Rose Acre Farms, one of the suppliers involved, is the family company of John Rust, an Indiana egg farmer running for the U.S. Senate in the state.