NC and SC among 17 states receiving compensation and donated eggs after alleged price manipulation
By Coastal Carolina News Staff Writer
A multistate settlement over alleged egg price‑fixing will impact consumers and food‑service operations across North Carolina and South Carolina, where households and retailers were among those affected by inflated wholesale prices between 2022 and 2025.
State attorney general say three major producers, Cal‑Maine Foods, Hickman’s Egg Ranch, and Versova/Centrum Valley Holdings used coordinated bidding practices that artificially increased the Urner Barry benchmark, the national index that sets wholesale egg prices.
The alleged conduct occurred from June 2022 through March 2025, overlapping with a period of record‑high egg costs.
Both North Carolina and South Carolina joined the 17‑state action. While the companies did not admit wrongdoing, they agreed to pay $3.3 million collectively and donate 53 million eggs to food banks across participating states.
The impact retailers felt across the Carolinas relied on the same national benchmark, the alleged price manipulation affected every downstream buyer, including grocery chains, restaurants, bakeries, school nutrition programs, and food‑service distributors supplying hospitals and long‑term care facilities.
Households in Brunswick, Columbus, Horry, and Georgetown counties experienced elevated prices during the inflation period.
Food banks serving southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina, including the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Lowcountry Food Bank, and Harvest Hope are eligible to receive donated eggs as part of the settlement. The additional supply is expected to support hunger‑relief partners during the summer months, when demand typically increases.
North Carolina and South Carolina will distribute their portions of the settlement through their respective attorneys general, with funds directed toward consumer protection efforts. Egg donations will be coordinated through regional food‑bank networks serving communities across both states.
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