Attorney General Ellison uncovers illegal scheme to manipulate egg prices, wins more than 50 million eggs and $3.3 million in settlement

Investigation into nation’s largest egg producers revealed illegal scheme that raised costs for consumers and businesses

July 1, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Ellison secured more than 50 million eggs for consumers nationwide and $3.3 million from some of the nation’s largest egg producers for colluding behind the scenes to raise prices. A bipartisan multistate investigation with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed evidence that Cal-Maine Foods (Cal-Maine), Versova/Centrum (Versova), and Hickman’s Egg Ranch (Hickman’s) illegally coordinated for years to influence a daily price index for eggs, which artificially increased prices for retailers and consumers throughout the country. Of the 53 million eggs obtained through the settlement, roughly 2 million eggs will be delivered directly to food banks and community organizations serving Minnesotans.

“Corporations should be competing against one another for your business, not colluding with one another to keep prices high,” said Attorney General Ellison. “As I travel Minnesota, I hear all the time from folks who are struggling to afford rising food prices. Unlawful and unethical behavior like this is a big part of the reason for that. In fact, I recently shut down a similar unlawful scheme among the nation’s leading meat processors. I will continue doing everything in my power to fight back against price manipulation and keep costs fair for Minnesotans.”

Attorney General Ellison and the coalition’s investigation found that from approximately June 2022 to March 2025, the defendant egg producers secretly communicated with each other to coordinate their bidding activity and influence the daily egg price quotes published by Urner Barry, a benchmark pricing service widely used in egg supply contracts. For example, in December 2022, Hickman’s CEO emailed Versova and Cal-Maine executives urging them to submit “strong bids, early and often” to push prices higher. All three companies then submitted dozens of bids at higher prices, which led to Urner Barry increasing its price quotes. By manipulating the Urner Barry benchmark, the companies artificially inflated the price of eggs paid by retailers and consumers across the nation. 

Under the settlement, all three companies must end their illegal coordination to manipulate prices, adopt compliance measures to prevent future violations, and fully cooperate with oversight by the states. The companies must designate antitrust compliance officers who will monitor for violations of the settlement and report violations to the states and DOJ. The 53 million donated eggs will be provided at the companies’ expense to food banks and nonprofit organizations across the participating states and must meet all food safety and regulatory standards. The companies will also pay a combined $3.3 million to the states. 

Joining Attorney General Ellison and DOJ in securing this settlement are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.