Three antitrust lawsuits filed by meals companies in federal court docket in Minnesota this week accuse a few of the largest U.S. sugar-producing firms of conspiring to repair costs.

The lawsuits title United Sugars, which incorporates American Crystal Sugar and the Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative; Domino Sugar; Cargill; different producers, and a commodity knowledge firm. The plaintiffs within the class-action lawsuits embody Nice Harvest Bread in Duluth, Morelos Bakery in St. Paul and the Connecticut restaurant group WNT, the Star Tribune reported.

“Since no less than 2019, the Producing Defendants have had an ongoing settlement to artificially elevate, repair, stabilize or preserve Granulated Sugar costs in the US,” one of many lawsuits alleges. “To effectuate this settlement, the Producing Defendants engaged in worth signaling and exchanges of detailed, correct, private, competitively delicate info.”

The lawsuits, which make broadly related claims, search injunctions barring the sugar firms from participating in unlawful conduct and unspecified damages.

The sugar trade, which is dominated by a handful of enormous firms, has confronted antitrust scrutiny for many years. A 1978 consent decree banned sugar firms from speaking about future costs or coordinating on sugar gross sales. 

Minnesota grows extra sugar beets than some other state. United Sugars, which relies in Edina, known as the claims baseless.

“Whereas it’s our longstanding apply to not remark extensively on litigation, we imagine this case has no advantage, and we are going to vigorously defend ourselves from its baseless accusations,” the corporate mentioned in a press release.

Minnetonka-based agribusiness big Cargill additionally denied the allegations.

“We take pleasure in conducting our enterprise with integrity,” Cargill mentioned in a press release. “We compete vigorously however achieve this pretty, ethically and in compliance with the legislation.”