U.S. Senators Demand Deeper Probe into Egg Price Hikes as DOJ Investigation Gains Momentum
By Wafric - Business
Wafric News – May 9, 2025
Amid rising concerns over soaring food costs, a bipartisan duo in the U.S. Senate is pushing for a deeper investigation into the American egg industry, applauding the Department of Justice (DOJ) for its ongoing inquiry into potential price-fixing among major egg producers.
In this April 8, 2025, file photo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is shown during a Senate Finance Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.
Senators Elizabeth Warren (Democrat) and Jim Banks (Republican) sent a joint letter Thursday night to DOJ’s Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, urging the department to intensify its examination of what they allege could be noncompetitive behavior driving up egg prices nationwide.
“The sustained increase in egg prices has placed a significant financial strain on American families, particularly working-class households,” the senators wrote. “We support the Department of Justice’s reported investigation into anticompetitive practices in the U.S. egg industry.”
While egg producers blame avian flu outbreaks for the spike in prices, Warren and Banks aren’t convinced. They suggest the price surge—followed by a sharp drop shortly after the DOJ probe was announced—may point to corporate coordination to manipulate the market.
According to U.S. labor data, the average retail price of a dozen eggs jumped from $4.95 in January to $6.22 in March—a 25% increase. However, recent wholesale prices have been falling, dropping nearly 40% since January. This discrepancy is raising red flags for lawmakers.
“Large egg producers and trade associations have previously been found liable for price fixing,” the senators noted, highlighting the industry’s checkered history with antitrust violations.
The DOJ began its investigation earlier this year after reports surfaced suggesting that top egg companies may have been sharing supply and pricing data to keep consumer prices high.
In a statement to ABC News, Senator Warren said,
“While rising egg prices are hurting working families, giant egg producers are raking in record profits. Americans deserve to know if those sky-high prices are the result of out-of-control corporate greed.”
Senator Banks added,
“America’s egg industry has been controlled by a handful of companies for years. It’s long overdue for an antitrust investigation to bring down prices and create more competition.”
The egg price crisis has also become a political hot-button issue, especially during the 2024 U.S. presidential race. President Donald Trump, who returned to office earlier this year, has often claimed credit for bringing prices back down.
“Gas is down, groceries are down, eggs are down—thank you very much,” Trump declared during a recent address from the Oval Office.
Still, Warren and Banks remain skeptical. Their letter to the DOJ calls for answers by mid-May, asking the department to detail whether the egg price surge can truly be blamed on bird flu, how much producers profited during the spike, and if there's any link between the DOJ's involvement and the sudden drop in prices.
With eggs being a dietary staple across American households—especially among lower-income families—the senators say transparency and accountability in food pricing is long overdue.
“Eggs have long been an affordable staple in Americans' diets. Yet, the cost reached an unprecedented high this year,” they wrote.
The outcome of this investigation could have implications not only for the egg industry but also for how the U.S. government handles corporate food pricing practices going forward.
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