Broiler Chicken Price-Fixing Lawsuit: The $181 Million Settlement

The Alleged Conspiracy

“Broiler” chickens are the birds raised for meat — the chicken most Americans eat. In a sprawling antitrust case, buyers alleged that the largest poultry processors conspired, beginning around 2008, to fix, raise and stabilize the price of broiler chickens — for example by coordinating to limit supply (such as reducing flock sizes) and sharing sensitive production and pricing data through an industry information service. The effect, plaintiffs said, was that grocers, restaurants and ultimately consumers paid more for chicken than a competitive market would have charged.

Food-price antitrust cases like this matter because even small per-pound overcharges add up to enormous sums across a staple product bought by nearly everyone.

The Settlement

The litigation produced a series of settlements. Consumers — the “indirect purchasers” who bought chicken at stores and restaurants — won final approval of $181 million in combined settlements, including about $99 million from Tyson Foods and $76 million from Pilgrim’s Pride, plus smaller amounts from other processors. The companies did not admit wrongdoing. Separate settlements resolved claims by other groups of buyers, and some state attorneys general recovered additional money for residents. Criminal price-fixing charges the government pursued against some executives largely did not result in convictions.

So the consumer recovery came through civil settlements, even as the parallel criminal cases had mixed results.

What Consumers Should Know

Consumer antitrust settlements like this are typically distributed to eligible buyers who file claims during an open window, often for a modest amount and sometimes without needing receipts. When such settlements are announced, watch for official claim notices and deadlines, and be wary of look-alike sites. The broader takeaway is that coordinated pricing among big suppliers of everyday goods is illegal — and increasingly a target of enforcement.