Last Friday, a new set of companies filed antitrust claims against meat processing giants Tyson Foods, Inc, Pilgrim’s Pride, Sanderson Farms, and more. The new complaints, filed by a group of food supply and grocery companies, pile on to the ongoing litigation against the defendant and its alleged co-conspirators in a chicken price fixing scheme.
The new plaintiffs in the ongoing chicken litigation are Panda Restaurant Group, Inc., Quality Supply Chain Co-Op, Inc., Aramark Food and Support Service Group, Inc., and Wood-Fruitticher Grocery Company, Inc.. The new plaintiffs are joining a host of other companies that have filed suit against the defendants, resulting in the formation of a multidistrict litigation.
The plaintiffs said they have contracted with the defendants for both the production and supply of broiler chickens, which are chickens bred and raised for the specific purpose of meat production They alleged that by the working with other food supply companies, the defendants were able to fix the price of broiler chickens in an anticompetitive manner for years.
The allegations include the manipulation of prices, coordination of supply restrictions, and the sharing of price and product information. These types of practices, the plaintiffs argued, constitute direct violations of federal antitrust laws, specifically the Sherman Act. The negotiations and subsequent purchasing of broiler chickens by the plaintiffs have caused them to sustain injury and damages due to the antitrust violations and other unlawful activities undertaken by Tyson and its co-conspirators.
The new complaints call for a trial by jury, in which they are seeking favorable judgement, treble damages, post-judgement interest, litigation fees, and any other relief deemed necessary by the court following trial.
The four new plaintiffs in the broiler chicken litigation are represented by Cotsirilos, Tighe, Streicker, Poulos & Campbell.
