McDonald’s has some beef with today’s largest meat packers.

The fast food giant is suing the U.S. meat industry’s “Big Four” — Tyson, JBS, Cargill and National Beef Packing Company — and their subsidiaries, alleging a price fixing scheme for beef specifically. In a federal complaint, filed Friday in New York, McDonald’s accused the companies of anticompetitive measures such as collectively limiting supply to boost prices and charge “illegally inflated” amounts.

This collusion caused the beef market to become “a monopoly in which direct purchasers were forced to buy at prices dictated by (the meat packers),” McDonald’s suit reads — later noting that the injury it has sustained as one of those buyers is what “antitrust laws were designed to prevent.”

McDonald’s alleges that the meat packers’ conspiracy dates back nearly a decade, at least as early as January 2015, and continues today. Its suit argues these companies’ actions violate the Sherman Act, a federal antitrust law.

  • jaybone@lemmy.world
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    27 days ago

    If it’s beef, they why have their chicken nuggets also doubled in price in the last couple of years? Oh, this goes back almost a decade you say? So why did you double or triple prices post pandemic?

    • bitwaba@lemmy.world
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      27 days ago

      Dude it’s literally right there at the beginning of the post

      The fast food giant is suing the U.S. meat industry’s “Big Four” — Tyson, JBS, Cargill and National Beef Packing Company

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        27 days ago

        You can’t honestly think McDonald’s trying to blame their massive price increases solely on their meat providers is valid.

        • Clasm@ttrpg.network
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          26 days ago

          It might be valid, but there’s no way McD’s was harmed. Their customers sure got that price fixing damage passed onto them, though.

          • GhostFaceSkrilla@lemmy.world
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            26 days ago

            It’s just over 11$ for 2 large fries. McD should also get sued. I feel like they’re just trying pass 100% of the blame on to their suppliers, after they’ve continued to post record profits year over year. They not only weren’t harmed, they’ve thrived and have been making even more money by price gouging. McD is as much, if not more culpable for inflating prices, than the meat packers.

            • Wilshire@sh.itjust.works
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              26 days ago

              You can get great deals in the app, all you have to do is let them harvest your data and “dark pattern” you into exclusively eating McDonald’s.

        • bitwaba@lemmy.world
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          26 days ago

          I said nothing of the sort. I was responding to the OPs question.

          If it’s beef, they why have their chicken nuggets also doubled in price in the last couple of years?

          It’s right fucking there at the beginning. They’re suing Tyson chicken as well.

          • JWBananas@lemmy.world
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            25 days ago

            It’s right fucking there at the beginning. They’re suing Tyson chicken as well.

            Wat.

            The fast food giant is suing the U.S. meat industry’s “Big Four” — Tyson, JBS, Cargill and National Beef Packing Company — and their subsidiaries, alleging a price fixing scheme for beef specifically.

            Where do you see anything about chicken? Are you under the impression that Tyson only deals in chicken?

            It’s “right fucking there at the beginning.” It says “beef specifically.”

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            26 days ago

            You can get mad at me, but I’m far from the only one who thought that’s what you were suggesting.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                25 days ago

                I’m pretty sure being understood is, in fact, the responsibility of the person making a comment.

                  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                    24 days ago

                    If just you were? It could be either of our fault and would depend on the context.

                    In this case, it isn’t just me who misunderstood. It was a significant number of people. So it’s a bit silly to say that it’s tons of other people’s fault and not yours when you aren’t understood.