Illinois Consumers May Get Money From Pork Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Remember that delicious ham dinner you had back in 2016? Or that thick-cut bacon in 2017?

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve eaten a holiday ham, bacon or pork chops in the last decade that cost you more than they should have. But now, years later, you may be eligible to get some of that money back.

A $117 million class-action settlement involving major pork producers has opened a new round of claims, and Illinois is one of the states included. The lawsuit alleges that several of the nation’s largest pork processors conspired to inflate and stabilize pork prices, meaning consumers may have paid artificially higher prices for certain pork products.

The companies involved, including Tyson, Hormel, Clemens Food Group, Seaboard Foods and Triumph Foods, have agreed to pay a combined $117.065 million to settle the claims. The companies deny wrongdoing and agreed to settle rather than continue the litigation.

cooked food on black pan

So, Think Back...Did You Buy Pork?

If you purchased eligible fresh or frozen raw pork for personal or household consumption between June 28th, 2014 and June 30th, 2018, you could qualify.

Illinois is among 24 states and the District of Columbia included in this round of the settlement. Eligible products include things like bacon, pork chops, ribs, loins, shoulders and pork bellies purchased from grocery stores or other retailers.

And here's the part that really caught my attention:

You don't have to produce receipts to file a claim. You'll estimate how much eligible pork you bought, how often you bought it and approximately how much you spent. The final payment will depend on the number of valid claims and the amount of eligible pork purchased by everyone who participates.

The deadline to file is October 29th, 2026.

Thinly sliced raw meat on a black plate

How Much Money Could You Get?

There's no guarantee you're going to suddenly find $500 in your mailbox.

This is a pro-rata settlement, so the individual payments will depend on the total claims. But if you were buying bacon for weekend breakfasts, pork chops for dinner and a holiday ham every December back in those years, you might want to check it out.

The official settlement website is OverchargedForPork.com.

Because apparently, sometimes the ham comes back to haunt you.