Several new food settlements are open or recently resolved in 2026, covering alleged price-fixing in beef, pork, chicken, tuna, and turkey, plus a frozen waffle recall. A few still accept claims. Most have closed their filing windows but are moving toward payment. Here is where each one stands and what you can still do.
Beef Settlement for Consumers
A federal judge in Minneapolis approved an $87.5 million settlement in May 2026 resolving consumer antitrust claims against Tyson Foods and Cargill. The suit, In re: Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation (Case No. 0:22-MD-3031), alleged that Tyson, Cargill, JBS, and National Beef violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by colluding to limit beef supply and inflate prices.1ClassAction.org. $87.5M Beef Settlement Ends Antitrust Litigation Over Alleged Price-Fixing by Cargill, Tyson
Tyson is paying $55 million and Cargill $32.5 million. Both also agreed to cooperate in the ongoing case against JBS and National Beef, which have not settled. Judge John R. Tunheim called the deal “fair, reasonable and adequate” on May 29, 2026. Plaintiffs’ attorneys received more than $38 million for fees and expenses; the rest goes to consumers.2Capital Press. Judge Approves $87.5 Million Beef Antitrust Settlement
You qualify if you indirectly purchased fresh or frozen beef made from chuck, loin, rib, or round primal cuts for personal consumption between August 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019. Premium, specialty, and processed beef — ground, marinated, or seasoned — are excluded.1ClassAction.org. $87.5M Beef Settlement Ends Antitrust Litigation Over Alleged Price-Fixing by Cargill, Tyson The claim deadline is June 30, 2026. Payouts are pro-rated based on how much beef you bought during the class period.3OverchargedForBeef.com. Consumer Indirect Purchaser Beef Litigation Settlement
Beef Settlement for Businesses
A separate track of the same case covers commercial and institutional buyers. Tyson agreed to $47 million for entities that bought raw beef for use in commercial food preparation between January 1, 2015, and May 6, 2026. JBS previously settled in this track; the amount was not disclosed in available records. Claim forms are not being accepted yet, and eligible businesses will be notified when the process opens. The deadline to object to or opt out of the Tyson commercial settlement is August 10, 2026.4BeefCommercialCase.com. Beef Commercial Case FAQ
Pork Settlements
In re Pork Antitrust Litigation (Case No. 0:18-cv-01776, D. Minn.) has produced settlements on three tracks. On the direct purchaser side, Tyson settled for $50 million, Clemens Food Group for $10 million, and Triumph Foods for $4 million. Hormel reached a $2.4 million deal that was pending court approval in late 2024.5PorkAntitrustLitigation.com. Pork Antitrust Litigation Settlement6PR Newswire. Hormel Foods Corporation Pork Settlement Notice A fairness hearing was set for August 13, 2025, with a second distribution of net proceeds planned for mid-summer 2026.
The consumer indirect purchaser track covers people who bought raw pork — bacon, bellies, loins, shoulders, ribs, or chops — for personal use between June 28, 2014, and June 30, 2018, in designated states. The court has granted final approval to settlements with JBS and Smithfield Foods; litigation continues against the other defendants.7OverchargedForPork.com. Pork Indirect Purchaser Actions Settlement
The commercial and institutional track covers businesses. Tyson settled for $48 million pending court approval, with an objection deadline of July 14, 2026. Earlier settlements came from JBS (2021), Smithfield (2022), Seaboard and Hormel (2024), and Clemens (2025).8PorkCommercialCase.com. Pork Commercial Case Settlement
Broiler Chicken Settlements
In re: Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation (Case No. 16-cv-08637, N.D. Ill.) has produced roughly $203.35 million in settlements. The original settling group — including Tyson and Pilgrim’s Pride — accounted for about $181 million. A later group of Foster Farms, Perdue, Koch Foods, Sanderson Farms, and others contributed about $22.5 million. Agri Stats was announced as the final settling defendant on March 13, 2026.9ClaimDepot. Broiler Chicken Antitrust Payout
New claims are no longer accepted; the window closed in mid-2024. Claimants from earlier rounds remain eligible for payments from newer settlements without refiling. Payouts are on hold because of a notice of appeal filed July 29, 2025, challenging the court’s approval of the settlements.9ClaimDepot. Broiler Chicken Antitrust Payout
Tuna Settlements
In re Packaged Seafood Products Antitrust Litigation (Case No. 15-MD-2670, S.D. Cal.) settled for nearly $217 million total, covering StarKist, Dongwon Industries, Lion Capital, and Chicken of the Sea/Thai Union across direct-purchaser and end-payer tracks. Judge Dana M. Sabraw granted final approval in November 2024.10SeafoodSource. StarKist, Bumble Bee Price-Fixing Settlements Valued at Nearly $217 Million The claim deadline passed on December 31, 2024. Payments for approved claims are expected during the second quarter of 2026.11TunaEndPurchaserSettlement.com. Tuna End Purchaser Settlement
Turkey Settlements
In re Turkey Antitrust Litigation (Case No. 19-C-8318) has yielded about $40.5 million. Cargill accounts for $32.5 million, Tyson for $4.62 million, and Cooper Farms and Farbest Foods for $1.68 million each. Agri Stats reached a separate settlement in March 2026 that includes conduct reform measures, with a final approval hearing set for early September 2026. Claim deadlines for the Cargill and Tyson turkey settlements have passed. Litigation against the remaining non-settling processors is headed for an October 2026 trial.12HBS Law. Turkey Antitrust Litigation
The Agri Stats Connection
A common thread across the chicken, pork, and turkey cases is Agri Stats Inc., a data analytics firm that compiled and distributed detailed production, cost, and pricing information to meat processors. On May 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice and six states filed a proposed settlement in Minnesota to resolve civil antitrust claims against the company, shortly before a trial scheduled for May 18, 2026.13U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department Requires Agri Stats to End Exchange of Competitively Sensitive Information
Under the proposed deal, Agri Stats must stop providing non-public pricing data and company-level production, cost, and labor information to meat processors. It can no longer publish rankings comparing individual processors against competitors. It must make most of its reports available for purchase by any interested party — restaurants, grocery chains, food distributors — on non-discriminatory terms. Data in future reports must be at least 45 days old, and information about production decisions must be at least 90 days old. A court-appointed monitor will oversee compliance for seven years, and Agri Stats must pay $350,000 to the plaintiff states.13U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Department Requires Agri Stats to End Exchange of Competitively Sensitive Information14Utah Attorney General. Utah Agri Stats Settlement A 60-day public comment period precedes final judgment. This is a government enforcement action, not a consumer claims fund.
TreeHouse Foods Waffle Recall Settlement
Outside the antitrust cases, a $4 million settlement resolved class claims against TreeHouse Foods over a 2024 voluntary recall of frozen breakfast products — primarily waffles — for potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The case, Rugg-Harrell v. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (Case No. 1:24-cv-10992, N.D. Ill.), covered consumers who purchased recalled products for personal use between October 18, 2024, and September 2, 2025.15Angeion Group. TreeHouse Foods Long Form Settlement Notice
Payouts were capped at $50 per household. With proof of purchase you could claim the full price per unit; without receipts you could claim the average retail price for up to two products. The claim deadline was December 16, 2025, and a final approval hearing was scheduled for February 13, 2026.16WaffleRecallSettlement.com. Waffle Recall Settlement15Angeion Group. TreeHouse Foods Long Form Settlement Notice
Food Cases Without Settlements Yet
Two active areas of food litigation have generated attention but no consumer claims to file.
Ultra-processed food lawsuits grew in 2025 and 2026, with hundreds of cases alleging that Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, General Mills, and others marketed addictive products — particularly to children — while concealing health risks. The prominent test case, Martinez v. Kraft Heinz Company, was dismissed by a federal judge in Pennsylvania because the plaintiff failed to identify which specific products he consumed or how they caused his health conditions.17USA Today. Open Settlement Claims Plaintiffs’ attorneys are expected to refile with more specific allegations or shift toward consumer protection and false advertising theories.
Baby food heavy metals litigation, consolidated as MDL 3101 in the Northern District of California, involves roughly 400 lawsuits against Gerber, Beech-Nut, and other manufacturers alleging that elevated heavy metals caused neurological harm in children. No settlement exists. The court excluded plaintiffs’ expert witnesses in March 2026, ruling they relied on “unreliable exposure estimates” and failed to establish that heavy metals in baby food cause autism or ADHD. New cases are no longer being accepted into the litigation.18AboutLawsuits.com. Toxic Baby Food Poisoning Lawsuits