US: Florida AG probing chicken price-fixing

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office has opened an investigation into allegations made in civil lawsuits, filed last year in federal court in Chicago, that Tyson and other chicken processors conspired to fix prices, Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said.

Top US chicken companies Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride said on Monday that Florida’s attorney general sought information from them regarding a probe into possible anticompetitive behavior, widening a legal review into chicken pricing.

“We continue to believe the antitrust claims that prompted the Florida AG to open this investigation are without merit but we are cooperating with the Florida AG’s investigation,” Mickelson said.

The US chicken sector, which is dominated by a few large companies, has come under increased scrutiny over the past year as customers and farmers alleged antitrust violations relating to pricing, production and compensation.

Full Content: Reuters

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