Buy Chicken in the Last 10 Years? You May be Entitled to Money

If you've purchased chicken from 2009 through 2020, you might be eligible for a payment from a class action settlement for $181 million.

According to News 10, prosecutors are alleging that several corporations have violated federal and state consumer antitrust laws by trying to work together to stabilize the price and supply of chicken.

The law firm representing the plaintiff’s is the suit made the notice of the settlement available online Friday, with approval from United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Before any money can be awarded, the settlement still needs final approval by the court and that ruling will happen at a hearing on December 20, 2021.

Companies in The "Broiler Chicken" Antitrust Litigation

Fieldale Farms Corporation
George’s
Mar-Jac Poultry
Peco Foods
Pilgrim’s Pride
Tyson Foods

Anyone who purchased fresh, or frozen raw chicken (excluding meat marketed as halal, kosher, free-range, or organic) in the following states is eligible to get a piece of the $181 million class action suit.

States Eligible for Payments

Those states include California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin.

How Much Money Should Customers Receive?

The amount is undetermined as of now, but once legal fees are subtracted from the $181 million, and depending on how many people file a claim, will determine how much each person will receive once the suit is finalized.

How Much Money Will Each Company Have to Pay?

Tyson will pay $99,000,000, Pilgrim’s will pay $75,500,000, George’s will pay $1,900,000, Peco will pay $1,900,000, Fieldale will pay $1,700,000 and Mar-Jac will pay $1,000,000 if the settlements are approved.

How Do I Apply for Money Back

Anyone interested in filing a claim, or to check if your eligible to receive money, you can call 1-877-888-5428, or go online here by December 31, 2022.

Hudson Valley Restaurants With the Most Critical Violations in 2021

Critical violations are those that can cause immediate harm to consumers such as undercooked food and improper storage of ingredients. Other violations like inadequate handwashing facilities or dirty conditions are noted as non-critical violations.

The ten restaurants below all received four or more critical violations during their latest inspection of 2021. In some cases, the restaurants were given the opportunity to correct the violations by inspectors and have done so. Just because a restaurant is on this list doesn't mean that they are currently in violation of the health code. However, the Board of Health does think it's important to be armed with information on how seriously a restaurant takes kitchen cleanliness, food safety and other important rules that affect the food you feed your family.