Target Corp. is the latest company to sue major poultry producers, accusing them of price-fixing practices that allegedly led to inflated prices of chicken.
The retailer, in a lawsuit filed Friday with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, said it is seeking damages—the amount to be determined at trial—and payment of legal fees.
The suit, in line with previously filed cases, alleges that top chicken suppliers, including Claxton Poultry Farms, Fieldale Farms Corp., Perdue Farms Inc., Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. , Sanderson Farms Inc. and Tyson Foods Inc., collectively reduced production to hike prices and coordinated pricing for meat supplies.
Representatives for Fieldale, Perdue and Tyson said the companies deny the allegations. Claxton and Sanderson representatives declined to comment. Pilgrim’s Pride didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Chick-fil-A Inc., the chicken-sandwich giant, also sued the poultry producers in a lawsuit filed Friday. The suits are the latest in the four-year legal battle over alleged collusion among companies that produce the bulk of the roughly 37 billion pounds of chicken consumed annually in the U.S.
