A federal district court in Minnesota has consolidated the antitrust claims of several large retailers and wholesalers against four beef packers into the lawsuit originally brought by R-CALF USA and the National Farmers Union (NFU).
The plaintiffs, which include Sysco, US Foods, Kroger, Hy-Vee, Albertson, Associated Grocers, Subway and SuperValu, allege the packers’ efforts to jointly manage their slaughter volume and their cattle purchasing practices caused beef prices to rise while also pushing cattle prices lower.
