Latest pork price-fixing notice issued by Minnesota federal court

A class action antitrust lawsuit notice was recently released by the US District Court for the District of Minnesota on behalf of commercial and institutional indirect purchaser plaintiffs over pork products purchased for business use in commercial food preparation.

In the previous lawsuit information, plaintiffs were looking for businesses that purchased uncooked pork bacon, fresh or frozen loins, shoulder ribs, hams, or pork chops from June 28, 2014, to June 30, 2018, as part of the damages class.

The notice named Clemens Food Group LLC, Hormel Foods Corp., Seaboard Foods LLC, Triumph Foods LLC, Tyson Foods Inc. and Agri Stats Inc., as defendants.

The court documents alleged that defendants and others conspired to increase the prices of pork products around the country, in violation of federal antitrust laws and various state antitrust, consumer protection, unfair trade practices and unjust enrichment laws. Throughout this case, the defendants continue to deny all allegations of wrongdoing.

Under this notice, the injunctive class excludes products marketed as organic and/or no antibiotics ever and any product other than bacon that is marinated, seasoned, flavored, or breaded, but it includes uncooked and cooked ham water added products.

Class members from certain states remain eligible to recover settlement money including Arkansas, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah Vermont, West Virginia and/or Wisconsin. The class period for Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee class members beings June 28, 2015.