Connecticut will receive 1.5 million free eggs as part of a $3.3 million antitrust settlement with three major national egg producers, announced Attorney General William Tong on June 30, 2026.
A bipartisan multistate investigation with the U. S.
Department of Justice found that Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum, and Hickman's Egg Ranch illegally coordinated from approximately June 2022 to March 2025 to manipulate a widely used daily egg price index published by Urner Barry.
Secret communications were uncovered, including a December 2022 email where Hickman's CEO urged executives at Versova and Cal-Maine to submit strong, early bids to artificially inflate price quotes.
Under the settlement, the companies must end their illegal coordination, appoint antitrust compliance officers, and distribute 53 million donated eggs to food banks across 17 participating states.
"These massive egg producers rigged the system to jack up profits, and all of us paid for it," said Tong.
He noted that eggs are a fundamental grocery staple, so high egg prices quickly increase overall grocery costs for families.
"We stopped them, and now they are going to send millions of dollars to states and free eggs back to our communities," said Tong.
The Attorney General emphasized that coordinated state action remains a powerful tool against corporate price manipulation.
"States are coordinated, and we will not hesitate to use the full weight of our enforcement authority to ensure fair prices for American families," said Tong.
Jason Jakubowski, president and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare, welcomed the announcement as a critical resource for local hunger relief efforts.
"Tremendous news for consumers and especially for families in need both here in Connecticut and across the country," said Jakubowski.
He explained that eggs are consistently among the most requested nutritional items across the food bank's mobile trucks and pantry distribution sites.
"Anything that helps us get 1.5 million free eggs to our neediest neighbors is certainly a good thing," said Jakubowski.
The participating companies will also pay a combined $3.3 million to the states, with Connecticut scheduled to receive a cash payout of $95,686.
The legal action included the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
