The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed suit against Koch Foods for anticompetitive behavior.
The agency alleges the company anticompetitively and unfairly required chicken growers to pay Koch a termination penalty to switch to working with a rival chicken processor.
“This action to protect growers’ right to compete signals the joint commitment of the USDA and Justice Department to open competitive markets,” said USDA Senior Advisor for Fair and Competitive Markets Andy Green.
The complaint claims Koch’s termination penalty amounted to more than half of most growers’ total annual take-home income, and sometimes more than one year’s entire take-home income.
