(Corrects fourth paragraph to say Cal-Maine disclosed last year that it was cooperating with a U.S. Justice Department investigation, not earlier this month)
April 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is preparing an antitrust suit against a few major egg producers, including Cal-Maine Foods and Versova, over alleged price coordination, the Wall Street Journal said on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Shares of Cal-Maine Foods were down nearly 5% in extended trading following the
news.
U.S. egg producers have been facing a growing wave of class action lawsuits accusing them of price fixing, amid consumer frustration over higher prices of food products, including eggs.
Last year, Cal-Maine said it was cooperating with a U.S. Justice Department investigation into potential price-fixing by egg producers, after a civil investigative demand, adding that the scope, duration and outcome of the probe were uncertain.
Cal-Maine and privately held Versova did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The lawsuit claims the egg producers coordinated using an industry price-benchmarking service, according to the report.
Friday's report said the agency and the egg producers could still reach a settlement to avoid litigation.
The Justice Department is also separately investigating the markets for beef, fertilizer and crop seeds, the report added.
(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
