Tyson to pay $48 million to resolve price‑fixing claims by pork buyers

By Mike Scarcella

WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Tyson Foods TSN.N has agreed to pay $48 million to settle a class action brought by U.S. food service companies that accused the meat industry giant of conspiring to restrict the supply of pork and fix prices.

The proposed settlement was filed on Tuesday in the federal court in Minnesota, and requires approval by U.S. District Judge John Tunheim.

The preliminary accord covers restaurants, delis and other food‑service operators that bought Tyson pork from other suppliers between 2014 and 2018. The plaintiffs include LongHorn Steakhouse and smaller businesses that purchased certain raw pork cuts or uncooked pork bacon in the United States.

Tyson’s settlement is the sixth overall and largest so far in the case. Smithfield in 2022 agreed to pay $42 million to resolve related claims against it, and JBS in 2021 said it would pay $12.7 million.

Tyson and lead attorneys for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The plaintiffs alleged that Tyson and other defendants provided a consulting firm with detailed information about pricing, sales and other industry data that was used to manipulate prices. Tyson and the other settling defendants all denied wrongdoing.

Arkansas-based Tyson, the largest U.S. meat company, separately agreed last year to pay $85 million to settle a proposed consumer class action accusing it of conspiring with rivals to inflate pork prices.

The litigation is part of a broader set of cases accusing beef, turkey and chicken producers of fixing prices in their markets.

Tyson has settled some other related lawsuits. Earlier this month, the company agreed to pay $82.5 million to settle a proposed class action brought by grocers and other businesses that accused it of conspiring to inflate U.S. beef prices by restricting supply.

The case is In re Pork Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, No. 18-cv-01776-JRT-JFD.

For commercial plaintiffs: Michael Flannery of Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, and Shawn Raiter of Larson King

For Tyson: Tiffany Rider of Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider and John Terzaken of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

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