WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice and 17 state attorneys general reached a $3.3 million settlement with Cal-Maine Foods, Versova, and Hickman's Egg Ranch. The settlement addresses allegations that the three egg producers illegally coordinated to inflate a daily price index for eggs.

Cal-Maine Foods agreed to pay $1.5 million, Hickman's Egg Ranch agreed to pay $1 million, and Versova agreed to pay $800,000 to resolve the civil claims. The Justice Department and a multistate coalition alleged that these companies secretly communicated from approximately June 2022 to March 2025 to influence daily egg price quotes published by Urner Barry. Urner Barry publishes an egg-pricing benchmark used in egg supply contracts.

The settlement also requires Cal-Maine, Versova, and Hickman's to donate approximately 53 million eggs combined to food banks or related non-profit organizations. Additionally, the proposed settlements mandate the adoption of antitrust compliance programs and the appointment of antitrust compliance officers. These settlements require approval from a federal judge. The states involved in the lawsuit included New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Cal-Maine Foods denied engaging in any wrongdoing or violating the law. In a written statement, the company said it "continues to believe that such claims are baseless and that its conduct was lawful, appropriate and in the best interest of supplying eggs to the marketplace." Sherman Miller, President and CEO of Cal-Maine Foods, attributed periodic egg price surges over the past five years to temporary supply shocks, including avian influenza outbreaks, the COVID-19 pandemic, weather, and other market dynamics compounded by high inflation. Miller stated, "The period reviewed by the DOJ was a particularly challenging time."

Versova stated that its decision to accept the settlement "simply reflects our firm intention to put this matter behind us and focus on our business." Versova also noted that most of its eggs are sold on grain-based contracts where prices fluctuate based on the costs of grain inputs for hen feed. Omeed A. Assefi, Former Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, commented that "Food affordability is a top priority of the Antitrust Division." He added that "These settlements resolve years of conduct that dragged on Americans' finances and their everyday lives."

In February 2023, average retail prices for a dozen large Grade A eggs increased 150% from the previous year, which was the largest annual change on record. The Justice Department alleged that egg price quotes dropped from their peak after the defendants learned of the investigation in March 2025.