Jury Orders Egg Suppliers to Pay $17.7 Million for Price Gouging Conspiracy

A federal jury in Illinois has ordered major egg producers to pay $17.7 million in damages, which will be tripled to over $53 million under federal law, to several food manufacturing companies who sued them for conspiring to limit the egg supply in the US and increase prices. The jury found that the egg suppliers used various means to restrict the domestic supply of eggs between 2004 and 2008. The damages verdict was reached in the Northern District of Illinois, and the egg suppliers plan to appeal the decision. The food manufacturers joining as plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Kraft Foods Global, Inc., The Kellogg Company, General Mills, Inc., and Nestle USA, Inc.