Following a Presidential directive, the federal government has established a taskforce to investigate “anti-competitive behavior” among meat processors and other segments of the U.S. food industry.  Initially the probe involving the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission will focus on the red meat industry with the high price of beef as the dominant economic and political issue.

Announcing the Presidential Executive Order establishing the taskforce, the White House noted that “all necessary appropriate actions will be taken not just to the food supply chain but whether control of food-related industries by foreign entities is increasing the cost of food products in the U.S. or creating a national or economic security threat to Americans.”  The statement added, “anti-competitive behavior, especially when carried out by foreign-controlled corporations threatens the stability and affordability of America’s food supply.” In the event of disclosure of criminal collusion, proceedings will be initiated as appropriate.  Red meat processing in the U.S. is an oligopoly with a high proportion of foreign ownership.

So much for the $5 million ‘donation’ by JBS.

Agriculture economists attribute the high price of beef to disparity between supply and demand occasioned by herd reductions following drought and low prices in recent years. Placing tariffs on imported beef and especially from Brazil exacerbated the supply side of the equation.

It remains to be seen whether the Food Supply Chain Security Taskforce will confirm collusion or whether this is an exercise in scapegoating.  Should food inflation continue, the probe initially directed at the beef industry may be extended to other sectors including broiler meat and eggs. 

It is apparent that the largest five egg producers and possibly others in the U.S. will be confronted by the same intrusive and ultimately expensive civil law suits as experienced by the broiler and hog industries. The same claims of collusion using commercial databases and alleged price-fixing will form the basis of class-action lawsuits experienced by hog packers and broiler integrators that led to significant payouts to plaintiffs and generous fees for law firms.

With the restoration of shelf prices for shell eggs, pressure on the industry, exemplified by previous action by state attorneys general has abated.  Unprecedented escalation in the price of eggs following significant depopulation resulting from HPAI focused attention on the product, eroding consumer goodwill and stimulating the ire of the White House. Should losses that occurred during the first quarter of this year reoccur in 2026, the industry could well be faced with investigations by the task force especially given an election year.  Price restraint by both producers and retailers would appear prudent given that the Administration has politicized supply-demand realities, agricultural economics and the preparation and interpretation of USDA production statistics.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that Dr. Seth Meyer, Chief Economist, since 2021 will leave the Agency.  He will assume the position of Director of the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri, effective January 1, 2026.

His departure will be a loss to the USDA, adding to the loss of research staff and experienced personnel who left the agency after the ill-advised transfer of the Economic Research Service from Washington to Kansas City during the first administration of President Trump. This was followed by the unprecedented layoff of government personnel during the first few months of 2025.

Dr. Meyer was in large measure responsible for compilation and distribution of the monthly World Agriculture Support and Demand Estimates Report a respected and widely used periodical.

It is considered significant that contrary to silence on the recent departures of senior administrators, Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the USDA expressed gratitude for the contributions made by Dr. Meyer and his lasting impact on the Department and U.S. agriculture.

EGG-NEWS along with the poultry industry acknowledges his achievements over an extensive career and anticipates further advances in research, service and teaching in his new position at the University of Missouri.

In an exercise in judicial theater, James Uthmeier, Attorney General of the State of Florida announced an investigation into the source of chicken in Campbell’s Company products.  The Consumer Protection Division of the Florida agency will spearhead the unnecessary effort.

The Florida action arises from revelations in a lawsuit initiated by Plaintiff. Robert Garza, who is suing Campbell for employment discrimination. In a clandestine recording entered into evidence, the discredited and since terminated Vice President Martin Bally the former Chief Information Security Officer, deprecated both Campbell’s products and consumers and claimed that the company was incorporating “bio-engineered meat” in soups.

This statement should have been dismissed as simple puffery and uninformed hyperbole.  In the first instance, bio-engineered chicken is not available in commercial quantities.  The second indication of improbability, is that the cost of any bio-engineered meat would far exceed the natural product, obviously disfavoring use.

It would appear that the Office of the Attorney General is pursuing an obvious slander to generate partisan publicity and to create the illusion of enforcing state legislation banning production and sale of non-available laboratory-produced meat. Surely there are more substantive issues to consider in the State.  In a legal environment dominated by ideology, logic is the evident loser.

Judge Algenon Marbley of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recently granted an injunction against Purina Animal Nutrition based on  misleading claims.  The lawsuit was initiated by Kalmbach Feeds and was filed in early June citing the Lanham Act and the Ohio Deceptive Trade Practices Act. 

Shortly after the launch of the Purina promotional program, feed regulators in Kansas, Minnesota and the Food and Drug Administration questioned the ‘health claim’ implying protection as advanced by Purina. This resulted in the company withdrawing the implicated statements. In mid-June, Purina consented to an order relating to the implied and expressed claims of protection against avian influenza and withdrew all scientifically unsubstantiated statements.

The Court ruled that Purina should refrain from issuing unsupported health claims and was ordered to post a retraction on the company website as reproduced below:-

Pursuant to an Order of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio dated November 12, 2025, Purina hereby gives notice that it previously advertised Farm to Flock 18% Layer Hen Food as having a ‘built-in defense against avian influenza,’ ‘Defend[ing] Against Viruses, Like Bird Flu,’ and ‘helping defend against viruses like bird flu.’ At the preliminary injunction stage, the Court found that Purina engaged in false advertising because these statements were not scientifically grounded and lacked a scientific basis. Purina retracts these statements, as well as any other representation that Purina’s Farm to Flock 18% Layer Hen Food defends against, protects against, prevents, mitigates, or provides immunity to the effects of avian influenza, bird flu, or other viruses.

The egg industry benefits from innovative further-processed items. The comprehensive format convenience stores operated by national chains are attracting customers from QSRs. The introduction of an egg salad sandwich by 7-Eleven is a fortuitous combination.  The new product is based on the iconic Tamago Sando sandwich offered by the parent company in Japan.  The U.S. version differs from the original but will still prove popular.  The highly popular Japanese sando has “milk bread” (shokupan) without crust.  In the U.S., the sandwich will be served on t soft white bread with crust.  Egg salad is prepared using Kewpie mayonnaise.

The U.S. sandwich will be priced at about $5.50 depending on locality.  Acceptance may be limited by price since the equivalent in Japan sells for 250-yen, equivalent to $1.80 at the current exchange rate.  The U.S. sandwich is however larger at 200g compared to the Tamago Sando at 110g. This narrows the differential in price to 68 percent higher than in Japan on a per unit basis.

Following the reluctance of supermarket operators to establish stores in urban areas of Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens established a program to locate the Azalea Fresh Market in an available 20,000-square-foot location.  The endeavor required investment of public funds totaling $8 million in cash, grants and loans.  The enterprise is projected to become profitable within three years.  Based on the initial success of the store a second location will be developed for the convenience of residents in ‘supermarket deserts’.  Azalea Fresh Market offers fruit, vegetables and dairy products in addition to essentials but lacks the frills of a modern suburban supermarket.

NY Mayor-elect Zohran Mandani proposed establishing city-supported grocery stores as part of his successful campaign although the concept was not expanded to a specific program or plan of action.

Although many cities have proposed and implemented subsidized markets under civic ownership, theft and other crimes have impacted community support and few have attained profitability or even survived.  Various models have been attempted including support by cities in the form of loans and operation free of rent and taxes.  Established supermarket chains have   developed stores in underserved inter-city areas of metropolitan areas including Chicago without success leading to closure.

To be viable, public-supported grocery stores and supermarkets require professional management but above all community support to establish a crime-free environment.

In 2022 Sonate Corp. dba Vegadelphia Foods filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Beyond Meat Inc. and the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts.  The plaintiffs complained that the Beyond Meat slogan, Great taste, Plant-based was too similar to the registered trademark of Sonate, Where great taste is Plant-based.  Sonate claimed that the infringement interfered with potential joint ventures and impacted company growth. 

The lawsuit was transferred to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts in 2023 with the most recent trial favoring the plaintiff.  The judgement included $24 million in actual damages plus $15 million in profits. Given the perilous financial state of Beyond Meat it is questioned whether Sonate will recover damages.

For Q3 2025 the Company announced a net loss of $110.7 million, (including a charge of $77.4 million) on revenue of $70.2 million. With a negative EPS of ($1.44). For the corresponding Q3 2024bthe Company lost $26.6 million on revenue of $81.0 million with an EPS of ($0.41). Sales declined 13.3 percent and gross margin fell from 17.6 to 13.3 percent in comparing Q3 for the consecutive years.

On a 12-month trailing basis Beyond Meat has attained a negative operating margin of 47 percent and a negative profit margin of 81 percent.  Over 12 months BYND has ranged from $0.50 to $7.60 with a 50-day moving average of $1.68. Before the close on December 2^nd BYND was down over 2 percent to $1.31. Marked volatility is attributed to a succession of ‘short squeezes’ with 20.7 percent of the float short in mid-November.