This time it’s beef and follows a number of successful class-action lawsuits against poultry and pork processors in the United States for price-fixing shenanigans.
Most of the chicken, turkey and pork cases have been settled out of court, some for more than $100 million.
Now Sonic, Arby’s, Burger King, Whataburger, Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. have filed lawsuits in Florida against the four largest beef packers, alleging the processors have been fixing prices and artificially constraining the supply of beef since 2015, according to court documents.
The initial 94-page complaints name Cargill, JBS, Tyson and National Beef as defendants.
Missing is Agri Stats Inc. which was named in most of the previous price-fixing lawsuits.
The plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial and verdicts to award three times the amount of damages the restaurants claim they suffered.
Last month, a federal district court in Minnesota consolidated the antitrust claims of several large retailers and wholesalers against the four largest beef packers into a lawsuit originally brought by R-CALF USA and the National Farmers Union.
