Over $39 Million Chicken Of The Sea Tuna Price-Fixing Settlement

Before it became a major supplier of tuna products, the company started out as a modest fish canning operation that took great pride in offering its customers low price products during World War II. Chicken of the Sea, which has been in business since 1952 and boasts “ocean fresh” products delivered nationwide, is committed to ocean conservation, sustainable seafood practices, and serving customers the “freshest, best-tasting seafood the oceans have to offer.”

In 2018, a group of people filed a class action lawsuit against Chicken of the Sea, StarKist, and other tuna companies, saying that they did business in ways that manipulated competition.The customers claim that these corporations violated federal antitrust law by coordinating together to set the price of canned tuna goods, and they base this allegation on their own observations. By engaging in this manner, they established a monopoly, which led to increased prices.

Direct and indirect customers of tuna goods are said to have been coerced into paying higher prices for those items as a consequence of an alleged antitrust agreement, which caused the prices to be higher than what they would have been in a competitive market. The plaintiffs argue that the defendant’s acts caused financial harm not just to them but also to other consumers.

• A California court approved three settlements in which Chicken of the Sea International will pay $39.5 million to address customers’ accusations that it coordinated with other seafood companies to inflate canned tuna prices, Law360 reported. The businesses negotiated agreements with the plaintiffs early last year, but the U.S. District Judge dismissed them in November.

• Chicken of the Sea’s parent firm, Thai Union Group, settled with end payors for $20 million. A group of wholesale consumers settled for $13 million, while commercial food preparers paid $6.5 million. Chicken of the Sea signed 2019 arrangements with Target, Sysco, and U.S. Foods.

People who bought Chicken of the Sea tuna cans via a third party and lived in specific states or territories between June 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015 are eligible to receive compensation as part of a class action settlement over alleged price manipulation. Products in cans or pouches under 40 ounces in volume may qualify.

Important Dates And Details

Exclusion and Objection: May 13, 2022
Hearing for Final Approval: July 15, 2022
Claim Deadline: August 22, 2022

• The maximum rebate is $10.50.
• To be eligible for this settlement, you don’t need to show proof of purchase.