If the price of meat — specifically chicken, pork, and turkey — feels incredibly high right now, that’s because it is. Though it may have little to do with actual supply or demand.
In May, a judge ruled that the data analytics and consulting company Agri Stats must face a lawsuit that accused the company of a price-fixing scheme that included major chicken, pork, and turkey processors across the U.S. In August, the company attempted to have the lawsuit thrown out, only to have a judge once again reject its request.
According to Reuters, in May, U.S. District Judge John Tunheim in Minnesota first denied the motion for dismissal of the suit brought forth by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and six individual states. Tunheim ruled that the Justice Department’s antitrust claims were sufficient to move forward.
The lawsuit alleges that the company unlawfully collected competitive industry data and shared it with its subscribers — …