ALEXANDRIA, Va.—An ongoing class action lawsuit alleges that major poultry producers artificially raised the price of broiler chickens, “in various ways, including via coordinated supply restrictions, sharing competitively sensitive price and production information, and otherwise manipulating Broiler prices, with the intent and expected result of increasing prices of Broilers in the United States, in violation of federal antitrust laws.”

Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride and other producers have settled, but many companies, including Koch Foods, Perdue and Sanderson Farms, have not.

The certified class is defined as: “All persons who purchased raw Broilers directly from any of the Defendants or their respective subsidiaries or affiliates either fresh or frozen, in the form of: whole birds (with or without giblets), whole cut-up birds, or parts (boneless or bone in) derived from the front half of the whole bird, for use or delivery in the United States from December 1, 2008 until July 31, 2019.”

The deadline to opt out is April 4. Any companies that do not opt out will remain in the certified class and will be notified and have the opportunity to participate in the event of future settlements or judgments.

The site www.broilerchickenantitrustlitigation.com provides more information. The site includes a page with frequently asked questions.