Attorney general announces egg price-fixing settlement

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Attorney General announced a nationwide settlement in an egg price-fixing investigation that could bring about 1 million eggs to the state.

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The settlement requires some of the nation’s largest egg producers to pay a combined $3.3 million after a multistate investigation found they illegally coordinated to manipulate egg prices between June 2022 and March 2025.

State officials said Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum and Hickman’s Egg Ranch secretly worked together to influence a widely used egg pricing index, artificially increasing prices paid by retailers and consumers.

Under the agreement, the companies will donate a total of 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofit organizations nationwide. Officials said the number allocated to Hawaii is still being finalized, but the state could receive approximately 1 million eggs for local food banks.

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“When companies illegally manipulate prices, Hawaii families pay the price at the checkout counter,” Lopez said. “This settlement holds these producers accountable and helps ensure that essential food items remain accessible to families and communities in Hawaii and across the nation.”

The settlement also requires the companies to end the alleged price coordination, implement antitrust compliance measures, and cooperate with oversight by state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice.

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