Illinois Judge Allows Frozen Potato Price-Fixing Lawsuit Against McCain and Cavendish to Proceed
An Illinois judge has ruled that a class-action lawsuit accusing Canadian frozen potato companies McCain Foods Limited and Cavendish Farms of conspiring to fix U.S. prices can move forward, though some state law claims were dismissed.
An Illinois judge ruled on Friday that a class-action lawsuit alleging two Canadian companies participated in a frozen potato price-fixing scheme in the U.S. can continue.
New Brunswick-based McCain Foods Limited and J.D. Irving-owned Cavendish Farms were among five defendants seeking dismissal of the case. The defendant companies together control about 98 per cent of the U.S. market for frozen potatoes.
The case began in 2024 with commercial and consumer plaintiffs alleging the companies conspired to increase the price of frozen french fries, tater tots, and other products. Plaintiffs alleged the industry used a data analytics platform called PotatoTrack to share sales and pricing information.
A U.S. judge allowed most claims under federal antitrust law to continue but rejected some claims made under various state laws.