General Mills, Mars, and McKee Foods Sue Sugar Producers Over Alleged Price Collusion

General Mills, Mars, and McKee Foods have filed a lawsuit against American Sugar Refining and United Sugar Producers & Refiners, alleging that the sugar producers colluded to inflate prices. The companies claim that the producers shared pricing and sales data with an independent market analyst, which then published the information to sugar company subscribers, amplifying the anticompetitive effects of existing policies. American Sugar Refining has denied the allegations, stating that the suit repackages baseless claims that have been pending for approximately two years. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of antitrust claims filed by food manufacturers and grocers against the sugar producers, who control the bulk of U.S. sugar refining and have long benefited from government policies that restrict imports. The case is currently being heard in Chicago federal court.