Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced this week the largest chicken producer in the nation, Tyson Foods, will pay $10.5 million because of a lawsuit over price-fixing on chicken products.
The announcement is the third and largest resolution in Ferguson’s lawsuit against 19 broiler chicken producers.
The claims against the remaining 16 companies continue. The conspiracy harmed an estimated 90 percent of Washington state residents, or approximately seven million individuals.
Consequently, the scheme impacted virtually everyone who consumes chicken products. Tyson Foods is the largest chicken producer in the U.S., with approximately 20 percent of the national market share for broiler chickens.
The Washington Attorney General’s Office asserts Tyson Foods and 18 other chicken producers drove up the price of chicken since at least 2008, causing consumers to overpay by millions of dollars. Two other states, Alaska and New Mexico, have similar antitrust cases against national chicken producers.