Tyson Reaches $85 Million Settlement in Pork Price-Fixing Case

Key Takeaways

• Largest Consumer Settlement to Date: Tyson’s $85 million agreement surpasses Smithfield’s $75 million deal, making it the biggest settlement so far in the pork antitrust litigation.
• Total Recovery Hits $208 Million: Combined with earlier settlements from JBS, Hormel, and others, consumer plaintiffs have now secured $208 million.
• Tyson Last Publicly Traded Settler: The Springdale, Arkansas-based company was the final publicly traded pork producer to settle claims.
• Remaining Defendants: Triumph Foods and data provider Agri Stats are still fighting the allegations, as are supermarket and restaurant chains pursuing parallel claims.
• Part of Wider Scrutiny: Similar price-fixing suits over beef, chicken, and turkey remain active in Minnesota and Chicago federal courts.

Deep Dive

Tyson Foods has agreed to pay $85 million to settle claims it conspired with rivals to drive up pork prices, a deal that pushes total consumer recovery past $200 million in one of the largest antitrust cases to hit the U.S. meat industry.

The preliminary class action settlement, disclosed Wednesday, resolves allegations that Tyson, America’s largest meat company, teamed with other pork producers to limit supply and inflate prices in the $20 billion U.S. pork market. The case stretches back more than seven years and accuses major players of coordinating pricing strategies between 2009 and 2018.

This latest agreement comes on the heels of a separate $64 million settlement earlier this year involving Tyson, Clemens Food Group, and Triumph Foods. In that deal, Tyson contributed $50 million, Clemens $10 million, and Triumph $4 million to resolve claims from food service providers and distributors, including Maplevale Farms and Ferraro Foods, who alleged they overpaid for pork between 2014 and 2018.

Like the consumer-focused settlement, the companies denied wrongdoing but opted to settle to avoid prolonged litigation. Together, the two cases underscore the mounting financial and legal pressure on the nation’s top meat producers as they face parallel antitrust scrutiny across pork, beef, chicken, and turkey markets.

The $85 million agreement is the largest consumer settlement so far in the litigation, surpassing Smithfield Foods’ $75 million payout in 2022. It also adds to prior deals with Brazil’s JBS, Hormel Foods, and other defendants, bringing the total secured for consumers to $208 million.

Based in Springdale, Arkansas, Tyson is the last publicly traded company to settle in the case. Its agreement still requires approval from U.S. District Judge John Tunheim in Minneapolis. Tyson declined to comment, as did attorneys representing the consumer class.

Not all parties have bowed out. Triumph Foods and data provider Agri Stats remain defendants, while dozens of supermarket chains, restaurant groups, including McDonald’s, and food distributors are pursuing parallel claims. Plaintiffs argue the alleged conspiracy enriched producers at the expense of both consumers and businesses.

The pork litigation is part of a broader series of antitrust suits targeting the meatpacking industry, with similar cases over beef, chicken, and turkey pending in federal courts in Minnesota and Chicago.

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