If you indirectly purchased fresh or frozen, uncooked turkey breast, ground turkey, or whole bird turkey products in the United States from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2016, for use in commercial food preparation, a class action lawsuit may affect your rights

CHICAGO, June 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

A federal court authorized this Notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer.

A class action antitrust lawsuit was filed on behalf of Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs against Defendant Agri Stats, Inc., and Processor Defendants Butterball, Cargill, Cooper Farms, Inc., Farbest Foods, Inc., Foster Farms, Hormel (including Jennie-O Turkey Store, a subsidiary of Hormel), House of Raeford, Perdue, and Prestage (together, "Defendants").

The lawsuit alleges Defendants and their co-conspirators entered into an agreement to exchange competitively sensitive and non-public information about production plans and pricing data through Defendant Agri Stats and Express Markets International, Inc. (EMI) (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agri Stats) to limit supply and increase prices in the turkey market. The Court has not decided whether Defendants did anything wrong, and Defendants deny any wrongdoing.

The purpose of this Notice is to inform you of the class action lawsuit so you may decide whether to opt-out or do nothing. The Court established, or "certified," the lawsuit as a class action.

In 2021, notice was provided regarding a settlement with Defendants Tyson Foods, Inc., Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., Tyson Prepared Foods, Inc., and the Hillshire Brands Company ("Tyson"). You may be a member of the Settlement Class in the Tyson Settlement with separate rights, and you may also be included in the Certified Class for the Defendants Agri Stats, Butterball, Cargill, Cooper Farms, Inc., Farbest Foods, Inc., Foster Farms, Hormel (including Jennie-O Turkey Store), House of Raeford, Perdue, and Prestage.

Your decision to remain in the Certified Class or to exclude yourself will not affect your ability to participate in the previous Tyson Settlement reached in this lawsuit.

Who's Included?

This Notice is being provided because the Court established or "certified," the lawsuit as a class action. The Court "certified" a class of commercial and institutional purchasers, defined as:

Injunctive Class: All entities in the Indirect Purchaser States that indirectly purchased fresh or frozen, uncooked turkey breast, ground turkey, or whole bird turkey products sold by Defendants in the United States during the Class Period, January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2016.

Damages Class: All entities in the Indirect Purchaser States that indirectly purchased fresh or frozen, uncooked turkey breast, ground turkey, or whole bird turkey products sold by Defendants in the United States during the Class Period, January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2016.

The Indirect Purchaser States are: Arizona, Arkansas, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

What Turkey Products Are Included in the Lawsuit?

Turkey is defined as fresh or frozen, uncooked turkey breast products, ground turkey, or whole bird turkey products.

Turkey breast products exclude (1) turkey breasts used to make ground turkey; (2) organic turkey breast products; (3) No Antibiotics Ever ("NAE") turkey breast products; and (4) cooked or Ready-to-Eat ("RTE") turkey breast products.

Ground turkey products exclude (1) ground turkey products made from turkey breasts; (2) ground turkey products made from turkey wings; (3) burgers, sausages, and patties; (4) organic ground turkey products; (5) NAE or ABF ground turkey products; and (6) cooked or RTE ground turkey products.

Whole bird turkey products exclude (1) organic turkey whole bird products; (2) NAE turkey whole bird products; and (3) cooked or RTE turkey whole bird products.

What Are Your Rights and Options?

Unless you exclude yourself, you will stay in the Certified Class – Damages Class, which means that you cannot sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against the Defendants. It also means all Court orders and judgments will apply to you and legally bind you. If you do nothing, you will remain in the Certified Class.

If you do not want to be legally bound by the terms of the lawsuit, or if you wish to pursue your own separate lawsuit against the Defendants, you must exclude yourself. Your exclusion request must be postmarked by August 29, 2025. You cannot exclude yourself from the Injunctive Class. If there is a Settlement or judgment in the future, you may not be allowed to exclude yourself from the lawsuit. If you exclude yourself and the Damages Class is later awarded money or benefits, you will not be eligible to receive any of that money or benefits. The Long Form Notice at www.TurkeyCommercialCase.com explains how to opt-out.

When Will the Court Decide Who Is Right?

If the lawsuit is not dismissed or settled with some or all Defendants, there may be a trial. There is no guarantee the Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs will win any money or benefits from the Defendants for the Certified Class - Damages Class.

This Notice is a summary. Learn more about the lawsuit at www.TurkeyCommercialCase.com or by calling toll free 1-800-403-3089. Please do not contact the Court.

URL: www.TurkeyCommercialCase.com

SOURCE The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois