New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced last week that Hillandale Farms Corp. is donating 1.2 million eggs to food banks to settle a state price-gouging lawsuit.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The deal settles claims that Hillandale Farms illegally raised the price of eggs in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A press release gave an example of the increased prices. The Ohio and Pennsylvania-based egg producer charged Western Beef Supermarket prices ranging from $0.59 to $1.10 for a dozen large eggs in the beginning months of 2020.
As the pandemic continued however, Hillandale Farms began raising prices. Starting in March 2020, the price climbed until ultimately reaching $2.93 per dozen, an almost 500% jump.
The 1.2 million eggs, which amounts to 100,000 cartons, are being distributed to thousands of food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters across the empire state.
James didn’t hesitate to include some chicken and egg puns in her announcement.
“As New Yorkers scrambled to stock up on food, one of the nation’s largest egg producers raised prices to unprecedented levels and made it harder for New Yorkers to feed their families,” James said. “Hillandale may have run afoul of our state’s price gouging laws and hatched a plan that targeted our state’s most vulnerable in its darkest hour. But today, we’re delivering 1.2 million eggs to feed hungry New Yorkers and make things right.”
James also took to twitter to post photographs at some of the donation sites, noting her pride in helping New Yorkers who need it most.
Hillandale Farms issued a statement published by the New York Post.
“Although it is important to note that the approach to pricing commodity eggs in New York using third-party data provided by Urner Barry has remained consistent for decades, the resolution of this matter reflects Hillandale Farms’ deep concern about the communities we serve,” the statement said.
“We welcomed the opportunity to take steps to benefit New York’s most vulnerable families and support ongoing hunger relief in the state,” according to the statement.
Read more articles from Haute Lawyer, visit https://hauteliving.com/hautelawyer/
