More than 140,000 eggs arrived at Feeding Westchester's Elmsford warehouse on Aug. 17, after New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a multistate settlement with three egg producers caught rigging prices since at least 2022.

The 11,700 cartons represent Westchester's share of a deal that requires Cal-Maine Foods, Versova/Centrum and Hickman's Egg Ranch to deliver 53 million eggs to food banks across 17 states and pay a combined $3.3 million in penalties. New York alone will receive nearly 5 million eggs, distributed through October.

The scheme ran for years. An investigation led by James' office, the U.S. Department of Justice and 16 other state attorneys general found the three companies secretly coordinated bidding strategies to manipulate daily egg price quotes published by Urner Barry, a benchmark pricing service used widely in egg supply contracts. The companies submitted sham bids at artificially inflated prices, then withdrew them to push the benchmark higher, ultimately raising costs for retailers and consumers nationwide.

For the 41 percent of Westchester households that struggle to afford food and basic necessities, according to the most recent ALICE Report, the delivery is immediate relief.

"This delivery of fresh, local eggs comes at a critical time for our community," Feeding Westchester President and CEO Kristine Borok said in the attorney general's announcement. "Feeding Westchester and our 175 partners will ensure these eggs are distributed quickly to where they provide healthy meals for families that need them most."

Local officials respond

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said the settlement turns corporate wrongdoing into direct assistance for residents in need. Congressman George Latimer, whose 16th District includes parts of Westchester, called the companies' price collusion "not only intolerable but illegal" and credited James' office for fighting the coordination.

Assemblymember Steve Otis said recent federal cuts to SNAP and other food assistance programs have made the hunger crisis in Westchester "more dire," adding that the settlement highlights the vital role Feeding Westchester plays in the county.

What comes next

The Westchester delivery is the sixth in a series of statewide distributions. Prior shipments went to food banks in Brooklyn, Rochester, Syracuse, the Southern Tier and the Bronx, with more than 1.2 million of New York's allotment already distributed before the Aug. 17 Elmsford drop-off.

Residents who need food assistance can connect with Feeding Westchester's network at feedingwestchester.org.