McDonald’s is taking legal action against the nation’s four largest meat packers.
The fast-food giant has filed a lawsuit against the “Big Four” in the U.S. meat industry—Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef Packing Company—alleging a price-fixing scheme in the beef market.
The complaint was filed Friday in a federal court in New York. It accuses the companies of anticompetitive practices, including limiting the supply of beef to inflate prices and charge “illegally inflated” rates.
According to McDonald’s, these actions have turned the beef market into “a monopoly in which direct purchasers were forced to buy at prices dictated by [the meat packers].” The lawsuit claims the company suffered injuries that antitrust laws are designed to prevent.
McDonald’s alleges the conspiracy began in January 2015 and continues today.
Representatives from Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef have not yet responded to requests for comment. However, this is not the first time these companies have faced accusations of price-fixing. In years past, grocery stores, ranchers, restaurants, and wholesalers have filed similar lawsuits, some of which are still ongoing.
McDonald’s is seeking a jury trial. The fast food chain operates more than 39,000 locations in over 100 countries, including about 13,000 in the U.S.
