Maplevale Farms, Inc. v. Koch Foods, Inc., JCG Foods of Alabama, LLC, JCG Foods of Georgia, LLC, Koch Meats Co., Inc., Tyson Foods, Inc., Tyson Chicken, Inc., Tyson Breeders, Inc., Tyson Poultry, Inc., Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, and et al.
After a six-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in an antitrust case brought by thousands of chicken buyers, a jury unanimously found that Sanderson Farms did not conspire to raise broiler chicken prices. Plaintiffs had alleged [pdf attached: Poultry Antitrust Complaint] that poultry producers like Sanderson, the third-largest poultry processor in the United States, had engaged in a conspiracy to drive up prices since 2008 by sharing data and limiting supply. Other defendants, including Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, have settled the claims, bringing plaintiffs’ total recovery to over $284 million.
[To accompany Case Law Update "Jury Rules in Favor of Sanderson Farms in Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation" from Brooks Animal Law Digest Issue No. 213]