This Minnesotan Egg Producer Has To Donate 1 Million Eggs. Here's Why

Food lawsuits have the power to make real change in the industry. According to Food Dive, issues related to the "natural"-ness of La Croix sparkling water, the glyphosate in breakfast cereals, and potential e.Coli contamination in romaine lettuce have all led to formal legal suits that have changed the way the American food system works. And now, another legal battle has begun that might just end up overhauling how people across the nation consume eggs.

Earlier in the fall, the Star Tribune reported that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued the egg producer Sparboe Farms. Ellison alleged that the farm engaged in price gouging during the pandemic, inflating the cost of their products to the extent that it hurt consumers. The farm and its spokespeople denied any wrongdoing and fought the case, claiming that they didn't change their prices based on COVID-19 and sell wholesale straight to customers, making their prices inherently different than those seen at large grocery chains. Now, as AgWeek reports, the farm has to donate 1 million eggs as part of a settlement.

AgWeek reports that as a result of the lawsuit, Sparboe Farms has agreed to donate 90,000 dozen eggs over the course of 18 months to a variety of nonprofit organizations designed to combat food insecurity. 

The act of charity comes as part of a settlement based around allegations by plaintiffs that the farm sold their eggs for three times their value at the start of the pandemic. While Minnesota doesn't have laws against price-gouging, this lawsuit might help set a precedent for future actions moving forward. Despite having no formal law, the farm violated a state executive order issued in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic that banned any form of price gouging. Sparboe Farms couldn't provide any justification for the price increase, and eventually settled, which included this massive donation of over 1 million eggs.

AgWeek notes that this is the second egg price-gouging lawsuit that has happened in Minnesota since the pandemic. But now, families who need some extra food can benefit from this influx of eggs, which will supply food banks and charities across the state.