French Fry Cartel: Four Firms Control 97% of Market, Face Antitrust Lawsuits
2025-01-07
A Washington, D.C., bar owner discovered that the four major frozen potato suppliers—Lamb Weston, J.R. Simplot, McCain Foods, and Cavendish Farms—simultaneously raised prices by nearly identical amounts. This sparked a wave of antitrust lawsuits alleging collusion through the data analytics platform PotatoTrac, leading to skyrocketing french fry prices. Decades of consolidation have left these four companies controlling 97% of the market, harming consumers and small businesses alike. The article explores the growing problem of monopolies in the food industry and how technology facilitates price manipulation.