A multi-state investigation found that three of the country’s largest egg producers allegedly worked together for years to artificially increase the price of eggs.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice, along with state attorneys general in 16 other states, and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement with the egg producers this week.

According to the state DOJ, the coalition secured more than 50 million eggs and $3.3 million from the companies through the settlement. The eggs will be provided to food banks and nonprofit organizations across the country at the producers’ expense.

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Around two million of those eggs will be given to food banks and community organizations serving Wisconsin, the state DOJ says.

The multi-state coalition’s investigation found that Cal-Maine Foods, Hickman’s Egg Ranch and Versova, which manages Centrum Valley Farms, coordinated to influence a daily price index for eggs. For years, that artificially increased the price of eggs, the state DOJ says.

“Companies must not make goods less affordable by improperly manipulating prices,” state Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. “There must be accountability for that kind of conduct.”

Cal-Maine Foods denied wrongdoing in the case, while the other two companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

From mid-2022 to early 2025, the egg producers communicated with each other to coordinate bidding activity on a widely used pricing service, according to a complaint filed in a federal court in Iowa.

The complaint details instances of executives for the companies calling and texting each other in an effort to push prices higher.

Under the settlement, the state DOJ says the three companies must end their price coordination, adopt compliance measures and cooperate with oversight by the states.

Kaul told WPR on Tuesday that the investigation was aimed at ensuring there is “fair competition in the marketplace” to address cost of living challenges facing families.

“This was an effort that involved multiple states and the federal government, and we have gotten accountability here,” he said. “There’s both penalties that will be paid as a result of this, but also there are going to be a large number of eggs provided to folks to help, particularly, those who are in need.”

In a statement released this week, Cal-Maine Foods said it believes its conduct was lawful. The company says the communications referenced in the complaint came from “a single former employee” and didn’t affect egg prices.

Sherman Miller, president and chief executive officer of Cal-Maine Foods, said in a statement the settlement allows the company to “move forward so we can devote our full attention to what matters most: delivering affordable, high-quality eggs.”

Editor’s note: WPR’s Sarah Lehr contributed to this story.