Bumble Bee Foods has admitted to price fixing tuna in the United States.
A statement from the United States Department of Justice has Bumble Bee Foods agreeing that it has been conspiring to fix the price of self tuna, such as canned and pouched. The charges against the company claim that this practice started as early as the first quarter of 2011 and lasted until as late as the fourth quarter of 2013.
As part of its guilty plea to fixing the price of tuna, Bumble Bee Foods will be subject to a criminal fine. This fine is for $25 million. The fine could also increase to $81.5 million should the company be sold to another entity.
Bumble Bee Foods’ plea agreement is still subject to court approval. The charge against it is the third made during the Antitrust Division’s investigation into suppliers of packaged seafood. It is also the first charge to be filed against a corporate defendant.
“We echo the Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s sentiment,” John F. Bennett, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Francisco Division, said in a statement
. “Companies small and large hold a great deal of the American peoples’ trust and this type of unfair, greedy behavior will not be tolerated.”
Antitrust Division’s investigation into price fixing by suppliers of packaged seafood is still ongoing. The organization is asking that anyone with tips or information about the issue contact them with the details. This can be done by calling (888) 647-3258, (415) 553-7400, or visiting this link.
