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.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    21
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 month 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
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 month 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
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        1 month 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
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          1 month 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
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 month 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
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 month 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
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        1 month 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
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 month ago

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

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                1 month 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.