Published
September 1, 2025
Updated
July 16, 2026
This settlement resolves antitrust claims that Hormel and Seaboard helped fix the price of pork; it covers businesses that indirectly bought raw pork for commercial food preparation in the U.S. between 2014 and 2018. The combined ~$7.39 million in agreements is not paying out yet — the claim form has not opened, so eligible buyers can register now to be notified when it does.
What Is the Hormel & Seaboard Pork Antitrust Settlement?
Two food companies, Hormel Foods and Seaboard Foods, have agreed to pay a combined total of about $7.39 million to resolve antitrust claims in the commercial and institutional indirect-purchaser track of the In re Pork Antitrust Litigation. The two agreements are separate: Seaboard agreed to pay about $4.96 million and Hormel about $2.429 million.Plaintiffs allege that major pork producers conspired to fix, raise, or stabilize the price of pork and to restrict its supply, in violation of federal and state antitrust laws, between June 28, 2014 and June 30, 2018. Hormel and Seaboard deny any wrongdoing and are settling to avoid the cost and risk of continued litigation. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Status
Pending — Claims Not Yet Open
Funds are held until the other pork defendants' settlements resolve.
Claim Deadline
Not Set
No claim deadline announced yet — register for notice on the official site.
Who Qualifies
Commercial Pork Buyers (2014–2018)
Businesses that indirectly bought raw pork for commercial food preparation.
Proof Required
No Proof of Purchase
No proof of purchase is required when the claim form opens.
What Are the Settlement Amounts?
The two agreements together total about $7.39 million: approximately $2,429,000 from Hormel Foods and approximately $4,960,000 from Seaboard Foods. No money is being paid out yet — the funds are being held while the remaining pork defendants' settlements move through the court, and payments to class members will be calculated later, after any court-approved fees, costs, and expenses are deducted.Free settlement alerts
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Who Qualifies for the Commercial Pork Settlement?
This is the commercial and institutional indirect-purchaser track, so it covers businesses rather than household grocery shoppers. You may be a class member if you are an entity that indirectly purchased uncooked pork bacon, or raw (fresh or frozen) pork loins, shoulder, ribs, hams, or pork chops from the defendants or their alleged co-conspirators for your own use in commercial food preparation in the United States between June 28, 2014 and June 30, 2018.“Indirectly” means your business bought the pork through a distributor or other intermediary rather than directly from a producer. Purchases made for resale in the same form are generally excluded from this class.
Is Proof of Purchase Required?
No. According to the settlement notice, no proof of purchase is necessary to file a claim once the claim period opens. Even so, it is a good idea to keep any records of qualifying pork purchases from June 28, 2014 through June 30, 2018 in case they are helpful when the claim form becomes available.When Will Claims Open? Current Status
The claim form is not open yet. The official notice states that class members “will be notified later of an opportunity to file a Claim Form.” The Seaboard and Hormel agreements received preliminary approval around August 2025, and the court held a fairness hearing on December 12, 2025. The settlement funds are being held until the other pork defendants' cases are resolved, so no claim window or payment deadline has been set.Because there is nothing to file right now, the only step available is to sign up to be notified. If you believe your business qualifies, you can register your contact information on the official settlement website so the administrator can reach you when the claim form opens.
How Do I Sign Up for Notice?
Visit the official commercial-track settlement website and submit your contact information to be added to the notice list. When the claim form becomes available, the administrator will use that information to let you know how to file.Official settlement website: PorkCommercialCase.com
Background on the Pork Antitrust Litigation
The In re Pork Antitrust Litigation is a group of consolidated cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (No. 0:18-cv-01776) accusing several of the country's largest pork producers of coordinating to limit supply and raise prices. The litigation is divided into separate tracks for different kinds of buyers; this page covers the commercial and institutional indirect-purchaser track — businesses that bought pork for their own commercial food preparation. Other pork producers have reached, or are negotiating, their own settlements in the same litigation. All of the defendants deny the allegations.Sources
- Official Settlement Website — PorkCommercialCase.com
- CourtListener — In re Pork Antitrust Litigation docket (D. Minn., No. 0:18-cv-01776)
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota — In re Pork Antitrust Litigation, No. 0:18-cv-01776 (JRT/JFD)
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Settlement Amount
~$7.39M combined ($4.96M Seaboard + $2.429M Hormel)
Case Title
In re Pork Antitrust Litigation
Case Number
0:18-cv-01776 (JRT/JFD)
Court
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Track
Commercial & Institutional Indirect-Purchaser (CIIPP)
Fairness Hearing
December 12, 2025
Status
Pending — claim form not yet open
Official Website
PorkCommercialCase.com
