DOJ widens beef price antitrust probe to include eight major grocery chains

In May, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division launched a case against the “Big Four” meatpackers—JBS, Cargill, Tyson Foods and National Beef—over their control of more than 85% of the U.S. beef-processing market. On Tuesday the agency announced that the investigation now extends to the retail tier, naming eight of the largest grocery operators: Kroger, Publix, Walmart, Albertsons, Aldi, Ahold Delhaize, Costco and Amazon.

Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. sent formal letters to each firm referencing recent increases in retail beef prices. The DOJ has already examined over 3 million documents and is conducting interviews, while urging whistleblowers to come forward with the promise of receiving 15-30% of any monetary penalties exceeding $1 million. Attorney General Todd Blanche highlighted the potential for substantial rewards, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins linked the probe to concerns about food security and the nation’s lowest cattle herd since the 1950s. The move follows President Donald Trump’s proposal to let farmers process their own meat to counter perceived monopolies in the industry.