Tyson $82.5 Million Direct Beef Purchaser Settlement

William C. Gendron

Editor in Chief

Published

October 2, 2026 4:30 PM

Updated

October 2, 2026

Who can file a claim?

The class includes any person or entity who directly purchased qualifying beef products for use or delivery in the United States between Jan. 1, 2015, and Feb. 29, 2020. The qualifying beef must be fresh or frozen and made from one of the following primal cuts: chuck, loin, rib or round. Class members must have purchased the products directly from any of the following companies or their subsidiaries or affiliates:

Cargill Inc. and Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. (Cargill Protein)
JBS S.A., JBS USA Food Co., Swift Beef Co. and JBS Packerland Inc.
National Beef Packing Co.
Tyson Foods Inc. and Tyson Fresh Meats Inc.

To be eligible, the beef products must not be:

Marketed as organic, grass-fed, kosher, halal, certified humane, wagyu or American-style Kobe beef
Cooked, marinated, seasoned, flavored or breaded
Further processed at another plant (such as ground beef or byproducts like trim, fats, oils, hides or offal)

The clas includes any person or entity who made qualifying purchases from any defendant even though this settlement is only with Tyson.

How much are settlement payments?

Pro rata payment: After deducting court-approved attorneys’ fees and litigation costs, service awards for class representatives, future litigation costs and notice and administration costs, the settlement administrator will distribute the $82.5 million settlement fund pro rata to eligible class members based on their purchases.

How to claim a class action payment

Class members who already filed an approved claim in the previous settlement with JBS are automatically eligible to receive a payment in this settlement and do not need to submit another claim.

Those who did not file an approved claim in the previous settlement with JBS must submit an online claim form or complete the prepopulated claim form they received with their notice and mail it to the settlement administrator. If a class member did not receive a prepopulated form, they can request one from the settlement administrator or print and complete the PDF claim form.pdf) and mail it to the settlement administrator.

Settlement administrator's mailing address: DPP Beef Litigation, c/o A.B. Data Ltd., P.O. Box 173066, Milwaukee, WI 53217

Settlement administrator's email address: info@BeefDirectPurchaserSettlement.com

Settlement administrator's phone number: 877-331-0717

What proof or documentation is required to submit a claim?

Class members must provide documentation to support their claim, such as legible invoices or receipts that show the product name, defendant manufacturer, date of purchase and net purchase amount. Class members should keep the originals for their records.
Class members who received a prepopulated claim form and disagree with the prepopulated purchase amounts must submit a purchase audit request form.pdf) and provide supporting documentation.
Class members using the online claim form must provide the unique ID and PIN they received in their notice.

Payout options

The settlement administrator will determine the specific payment method and communicate it to claimants.

$82.5 million settlement fund breakdown

The $82,500,000 settlement fund includes:

Settlement administration costs: Up to $2,500,000
Attorneys’ fees: Up to $27,500,000
Incurred litigation costs: Up to $1,500,000
Future litigation costs: Up to $5,000,000
Service awards to class representatives: Up to $25,000 each ($75,000 total)
Payments to eligible class members: Remaining settlement funds

Important dates

Deadline to opt out: Oct. 23, 2026
Fairness hearing: Nov. 12, 2026
Deadline to file a claim: Nov. 30, 2026

When is the Tyson beef settlement payout date?

The settlement administrator will distribute payments to eligible class members after the court resolves any appeals and grants final approval of the settlement.

Why did this class action settlement happen?

The lawsuit alleged Tyson and other beef producers conspired to fix, raise, maintain and stabilize the price of boxed and case-ready beef in violation of federal antitrust laws. The alleged conduct resulted in higher prices for direct purchasers.

Tyson denies any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the costs and risks of ongoing litigation.