WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division has expanded its federal investigation into soaring beef prices, targeting eight of the nation’s largest grocery and retail giants over rising retail costs.
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater announced that official inquiry letters were sent to major retailers regarding recent price spikes at the meat counter. The eight grocery companies under scrutiny include:
- Kroger
- Walmart
- Costco
- Amazon
- Albertsons
- Aldi
- Publix
- Ahold Delhaize USA
The move broadens an ongoing criminal investigation by the Antitrust Division into potential market manipulation, supply restriction, and price collusion across the meat supply chain. The broader probe was launched after former President Donald Trump accused major meatpacking entities of artificially inflating consumer costs and ordered a formal DOJ inquiry.
The expansion shifts regulatory focus from processors to retailers. Industry data shows that just four major processors—Tyson Foods, Cargill, JBS USA, and National Beef Packing Company—control approximately 85 percent of the U.S. grain-fattened cattle market used for retail beef cuts. Earlier this year, Tyson Foods agreed to an $82.5 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed by commercial buyers accusing the processor of conspiring to drive up prices by restricting supply.
Department officials emphasized that beef affordability remains a critical economic priority for the DOJ. Retail beef prices reached record highs in May, adding financial strain on American households already managing broader cost-of-living pressures and elevated fuel prices linked to ongoing Middle East conflicts.
