Foodlink has received 280,800 eggs for distribution across the Rochester and Finger Lakes region under a multistate price-fixing settlement with three major egg producers, Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday.
The delivery includes 23,400 cartons of a dozen eggs and is part of a settlement with Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum and Hickman's Egg Ranch. Foodlink serves residents through a network spanning 10 counties.
An investigation by James' office, the U.S. Department of Justice and 16 other states found the companies coordinated bidding strategies beginning at least as early as 2022 to influence daily egg price quotes published by Urner Barry, a benchmark used in supply contracts.
According to the attorney general's office, the producers submitted sham bids at inflated prices and then withdrew them, distorting the benchmark and increasing prices paid by retailers and consumers. Under the settlements, the companies will provide 53 million eggs to food banks in participating states and pay a combined $3.3 million.
New York is set to receive 4,968,000 eggs through Feeding New York, the statewide food bank network. Deliveries began with 280,800 eggs sent to City Harvest in Brooklyn and are expected to continue statewide through mid-October.
Foodlink CEO Julia Tedesco said the Rochester delivery will provide a protein-rich food to thousands of residents at a time when many households are struggling with basic expenses. The companies also agreed to compliance measures intended to prevent future illegal coordination.
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