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The three largest producers of canned tuna in the United States have been hit with an antitrust class action lawsuit alleging the companies conspired together to fix, raise and maintain tuna prices. Olean Wholesale Grocery Cooperative Inc. filed the canned tuna class action lawsuit on Monday against StarKist Co., Bumble Bee Foods LLC, and Thai Union Frozen Products-owned Tri-Union Seafoods LLC, which produces “Chicken of the Sea”.
According to the antitrust class action lawsuit, tuna consumption has declined over the last few years but prices have not. The lead plaintiff Olean claims that in 2005 the average person ate 3.1 pounds of tuna but by 2013 the average dropped to 2.3 pounds. Olean claims that a rational business action would be to reduce the price of tuna but that didn’t happen and the raw material costs of tuna cannot be blamed.
The canned tuna antitrust class action lawsuit reports that in 2015 tuna exporters noted that the price per metric ton had declined from $1,400 to $800. In addition, the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization noted in its May 2015 “Food Outlook” biannual report that the price of tuna had dropped in 2014 stating “tuna prices declined significantly due to excess supply, with frozen skipjack prices hitting a 6-year low.” Yet despite the declining raw material costs, the defendants did not decrease prices.
Lead plaintiff Olean claims that when Thai Union Frozen planned to finance the acquisition of Bumble Bee tuna for $1.51 billion, the company planned to raise funds through shareholders that would have raised about $380 million. However, on July 23, 2015, TUF suspended the public offering by disclosing that both Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea received grand jury subpoenas from the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Based on a statement from the Global Competition Review, Olean suggests that StarKist received a DOJ subpoena as well.
According to the canned tuna class action lawsuit, Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea and StarKist have violated sections 1 and 3 of the Sherman Act by conspiring with each other in order to artificially fix, raise and maintain tuna and other packaged seafood products within the United States, its territories and the District of Columbia.
Olean claims that they and other potential Class Members have been forced to pay more for canned tuna that they otherwise would have in a competitive marketplace without the price-fixing conspiracy.
If approved, the canned tuna class action lawsuit would be open to all Class Members who directly purchased packaged seafood products within the United States, its territories and the District of Columbia from any defendant or any predecessor, subsidiary or affiliate thereof, at any time between July 24, 2011 and the present.
The lead plaintiff expects thousands of potential Class Members to join.
Olean is represented by Michael P. Lehmann, Bonny E. Sweeney, Christopher L. Lebsock, Michael D. Hausfeld and James J. Pizzirusso of Hausfeld LLP.
The Canned Tuna Antitrust Class Action Lawsuit is Olean Wholesale Grocery Cooperative Inc., et al. v. Bumble Bee Foods LLC, et al., Case No. 3:15-cv-01714, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
UPDATE: On Dec. 9, 2015, nine putative class action lawsuits and 44 related cases that accuse the largest producers of canned tuna of a price-fixing scheme were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation in California’s Southern District.
UPDATE 2: On Jan. 25, 2019, Walmart secured a $20.5 million settlement in a consolidated set of class action lawsuits alleging StarKist entered into a conspiracy to fix the price of canned tuna.
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205 thoughts onCanned Tuna Companies Hit with Antitrust Class Action Lawsuit
I was actually looking to see if there was a class action like this, and if not, to start one.
There must have been some collusion when they ALL decided to go from 6oz cans to 5oz cans. Not only did they reduce the amount of Tuna we bought, but they also increased the prices of the cans. This in turn affected other products where they either reduced what was contained in the packaging, or called for 2 cans to be added rather than one.
Now some cans are even advertising 5 oz, but only containing 4oz of ACTUAL TUNA!
Also, it seems that for every 5 cans of SOLID tuna I buy, at least 1 of the 5 is not actually 100% solid and sometimes even less than 50% I’d consider Solid.
These Tuna companies are ripping us off left and right and I hope they get taken to the cleaners…
CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MUCH TUNA I HAVE BOUGHT OVER THE YEARS. I LOVE IT. PLEASE INCLUDE ME.
Yes please include me..I am old and ate a lot of this tuna.thanks!
I have bought this tuna for years include my please
ONLY TUNA WE EAT — PLEASE ADD OUR FAMILY, THANK YOU
I’ve also been buying this product for years now. Please include me in this suit.
I have been buyi g this tuna for years. Include me please. Rivera.evelyn3486@gmail.com
Include me please
We have purchased tuna as one affordable source of protein regularly for years. Include me also.
I have bought this tuna for years! Please include me.