A Tyson Foods agreed to pay US $ 85 million to resolve a lawsuit of consumers who accused the largest meat company in the United States of conspire com rivals to inflate the prices of pork, Limiting supply in the US $ 20 billion market.
The preliminary agreement of the collective action released on Wednesday (1st) is the largest in more than seven years of consumer antitrust dispute against pork producers, exceeding Smithfield Foods’s $ 75 million agreement by 2022.
This would increase consumer recovery to US $ 208 million, including agreements with JBS, Hormel Foods and other defendants.
Tyson’s agreement requires the approval of district judge John Tunheim.
Tyson did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Consumer lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests.
Triumph Foods and data supplier Agr Stats remain defendants.
Dozens of supermarket chains, including Kroger, restaurant chains, including McDonald’s, food producers and distributors also entered
The plaintiffs said the alleged conspiracy occurred from 2009 to 2018 and aimed to increase defendants’ profits as well as prices.
Similar disputes claiming prices of beef, chicken and turkey are pending in the Federal Courts of Minnesota and Chicago.
