A pair of producers, Pilgrim’s Pride and Mar-Jac Poultry, have agreed to pay US$75.5 million and US$1 million respectively to end chicken price fixing litigation filed by consumers, according to settlement documents submitted to Illinois federal court Thursday, August 5.
The proposed settlement agreement is the latest development in a sweeping class action lawsuit launched in 2016 claiming major producers conspired to drive up the price of chicken for everyone from consumers, fast Chick-fil-A and other food chains, and grocers.
“These are the fifth and sixth settlements reached between [end-user consumer plaintiffs] and defendant families, bringing the total recovery to date for the [end-user consumer plaintiffs] class to $181 million,” stated the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary approval of the settlement.
Read Also: Pilgrim’s Pride Execs, Koch Foods Charged With Chicken Price-Fixing
If approved, Class Members will include individuals and entities who purchased a variety of fresh or frozen raw chicken products for personal consumption between 2009 and July 31, 2019. The timeline varies depending on each Class Member’s state and will potentially include millions of consumers who purchased chicken over the course of a decade.
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