Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and a multistate coalition secured 53 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 that Cal-Maine Foods (Cal-Maine), Versova/Centrum (Versova), and Hickman’s Egg Ranch (Hickman’s) unlawfully 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, over 2 million eggs will be delivered directly to food banks and community organizations serving Maryland. The state will also receive payment of over $120,000 related to this conduct.
“When Marylanders’ budgets were stretched so thin that they could barely keep food on the table, these three companies were colluding to make sure egg prices stayed as high as possible,” said Attorney General Brown. “This settlement holds these businesses accountable for rigging the market against Maryland’s most vulnerable and delivers eggs to the community organizations serving those hurt most by this unlawful scheme.”
Attorney General Brown and the coalition’s investigation found that from approximately June 2022 to March 2025, the 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 collectively 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 ultimately consumers across the nation.
Under the settlement, all three companies must end their unlawful 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.
Joining Attorney General Brown and DOJ in securing this settlement are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaiʻi, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
