Looks like an egg company has to pay up after a lawsuit and now our local food bank will be getting a MASSIVE donation.

Remember when the price of eggs was absolutely ridiculous? Prices not only doubled, but tripled in some instances when you went to the store. Which lead to price of other foods that use eggs increasing at restaurants as well. The avian flu and supply chain issues we were told was the reason for the price increase. Turns out one company was price gouging us to try to make some extra money.

Texas Attorney General Sued Cal-Maine Foods

Back in 2020, Cal-Maine Foods one of the largest egg suppliers in the state of Texas, was accused of price gouging their customers. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the company for trying to profit from Texans who were struggling during the pandemic.

At the time, Cal-Maine Foods said this, "Cal-Maine has not exploited this tragic national pandemic for gain. Cal-Maine Foods is the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the United States and sells the majority of its shell eggs in states across the southwestern, southeastern, mid-western and mid-Atlantic regions. The Company’s 3,490+ employees have worked hard during this crisis to meet increased consumer demand. In doing so, Cal-Maine Foods has not changed its longstanding approach to pricing. Any allegation to the contrary is simply not true"

Cal-Maine Foods Donating Eggs to Texas Food Banks

Turns out, Cal-Maine Foods was price gouging us and it looks like as a part of their settlement. They will be donating eggs to food banks across the state of Texas. “My office will crack down on any corporation illegally raising prices on Texans,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Cal-Maine tried to take advantage of the people of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this settlement is an important step towards securing justice for the company’s unethical actions. Our efforts to hold Cal-Maine accountable have secured reforms that will help prevent any further illegal price gouging and over two million free eggs that will be distributed by food banks across the state.”

Wichita Falls Area Food Bank Will Be Getting a Donation

The Wichita Falls Area Food Bank was directly mentioned in Ken Paxton's statement. In the next 120 days, they will be receiving at least 2,000 dozen eggs (24,000 eggs minimum). Additionally, Cal-Maine is barred from demanding a price or selling eggs during a designated disaster period at a price that would violate the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, preventing any further price gouging similar to what the company did in 2020. The settlement can be found here.