Turkey Antitrust Class Action Lawsuit Overview

Who: An Illinois federal judge has certified a class action lawsuit filed against the nation’s largest turkey processors.

Why: U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani ruled that the plaintiffs met the necessary requirements to certify their claims as a class action lawsuit.

Where: The turkey antitrust class action lawsuit was filed in an Illinois federal court.

An Illinois federal judge has certified a class action lawsuit against major turkey processors over allegations that they conspired to fix turkey prices. The lawsuit covers direct buyers and commercial and institutional indirect buyers who purchased turkey products between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2016.

Price-Fixing Allegations

The plaintiffs claim the turkey processors conspired to manipulate turkey prices by exchanging sensitive information about production plans and pricing data, allegedly to limit supply and drive up prices. The lawsuit argues that this practice violates Section 1 of the Sherman Act.

According to the complaint, the processors allegedly exchanged this information using data analytics companies Agri Stats and Express Markets International.

Market Control and Class Certification

The lawsuit claims the turkey processors collectively control over 80% of the market for turkey products. Judge Harjani ruled that the plaintiffs demonstrated it was possible to use common evidence to show that all or nearly all class members suffered antitrust injury as a result of the alleged conspiracy.

The judge also determined that the plaintiffs’ experts provided a sufficiently plausible class-wide methodology to prove the antitrust impact.

Previous Settlement

In early 2022, Tyson Foods agreed to pay $4.62 million to a class of direct turkey buyers, including wholesalers and distributors, to resolve claims that the company participated in price-fixing.

Case Information

The turkey antitrust class action lawsuit is titled In re: Turkey Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 1:19-cv-08318, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.