$117M Pork Price-Fixing Settlement: How to File a Claim Without Receipts

Eligible consumers who purchased raw pork products in 24 specific U.S. jurisdictions can now submit claims for a $117.065 million antitrust settlement, according to legal notices detailed by Open Class Actions. The nationwide litigation accuses major pork processors of conspiring to inflate and stabilize prices through production restraints, export controls, and shared industry data.

Five major pork processing companies agreed to the combined cash settlement to resolve the consumer track of the long-running antitrust lawsuit. According to Open Class Actions, the settling defendants include Clemens Food Group, Hormel Foods Corporation, Seaboard Foods LLC, Triumph Foods LLC, and Tyson Foods Inc. A sixth defendant, Agri Stats Inc., agreed to alter specific business practices rather than pay a financial settlement.

Understanding the Class Period and Geographic Boundaries

The settlement class covers individuals and entities who indirectly purchased eligible raw pork for personal or household consumption between June 28, 2014, and June 30, 2018. Open Class Actions notes that indirect purchases mean consumers bought the pork products at grocery stores, supermarkets, or other retail outlets rather than directly from the defendant processors.

To qualify for a payout, the retail purchases must have taken place within one of 24 designated repealer jurisdictions. These covered areas consist of Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. Purchases made outside these specific states are excluded from the settlement class.

Eligible Pork Products and Filing Requirements

The settlement encompasses raw pork bacon as well as fresh or frozen raw pork cuts derived from bellies, loins, shoulders, ribs, and chops. According to Open Class Actions, Exhibit 5 of the settlement agreement lists 92 distinct raw cuts by name, while excluding pre-cooked meats. Organic and no-antibiotics-ever products are also excluded, alongside any non-bacon items that are marinated, seasoned, flavored, or breaded. Bacon remains eligible even when smoked or seasoned.

Consumers filing claims do not need to provide purchase receipts or notice IDs at the initial stage, though the settlement administrator may request supporting documentation later. Estimated payouts will be distributed on a pro rata share of the $117.065 million fund, scaled according to the amount of eligible pork each claimant purchased.

Key Deadlines and Final Approval Hearing

The deadline to submit a claim form online or via mail is October 29, 2026, according to Open Class Actions. Mailed claim forms must carry a postmark by that date. The same deadline applies for class members wishing to opt out or object to the terms of the settlement.

A final approval hearing is scheduled for December 11, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. CST before Judge John R. Tunheim in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Because the court has not yet entered a final approval order and no payment date has been determined, submitting a claim secures eligibility but does not trigger an immediate payout. The defendants deny all allegations of wrongdoing, and the settlements represent a resolution of the litigation without a formal judicial determination of liability.