With large Grade A eggs averaging about $2.19 per dozen at retail, the 53 million eggs donated are valued at approximately $9.7 million. The settlement ends a probe led by the U.S. Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general.
When the companies learned about the investigation in March 2025, egg price quotes dropped significantly from their peak, according to the DOJ.
Omeed Assefi, former Acting Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ's Antitrust Division, said: "Food affordability is a top priority of the Antitrust Division. These settlements resolve years of conduct that dragged on Americans' finances and their everyday lives."
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A Versova representative stated that agreeing to the settlement "simply reflects our firm intention to put this matter behind us and focus on our business." Mantiqueira USA, which owns Hickman's, said it is "committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations and to conducting business with the highest standards of integrity."
Egg prices have been a major consumer concern since 2022, when avian flu outbreaks killed millions of laying hens and drove prices to record highs, exacerbating inflationary pressures. The DOJ's probe into potential price fixing is part of a broader government effort to ensure competitive food markets, as households across the country grapple with higher grocery bills.
The companies reject the accusations, attributing elevated prices to avian flu epidemics, supply disruptions, and rising inflation.
A federal judge must still approve the settlement. If approved, each company will have to adopt antitrust compliance programs and appoint antitrust compliance officers to prevent future coordinated price manipulation.
This case highlights the government's increased scrutiny of food pricing, especially after pandemic-era supply chain disruptions and avian flu outbreaks drove egg prices to historic highs. Consumer advocacy groups have praised the settlement as a step toward holding corporations accountable, even as the companies maintain their innocence.
The antitrust division has made food affordability a central focus, and this settlement is one of several actions taken to investigate potential collusion in agricultural markets. Regulators are closely monitoring pricing behavior in sectors where a few large players dominate, and similar probes into other food commodities could follow. The resolution of this case may also encourage other states to pursue independent actions against food producers if evidence of coordinated price manipulation emerges.
The egg industry is highly concentrated, with a small number of producers controlling the majority of supply. This structure increases the risk of coordinated pricing, especially during periods of high demand or supply shocks. The settlement imposes compliance measures that require the companies to adopt robust antitrust policies and appoint internal monitors - conditions designed to deter future collusion and provide a template for other agricultural sectors.
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