SPRINGDALE, ARK. – Tyson Foods Inc. has reached a settlement with direct purchasers— foodservice, institutional and retail poultry buyers — that accused the company and other poultry processors of fixing prices for poultry. The company admitted no wrongdoing.

A court document stated, “The parties are working to finalize and document all the terms of that agreement, which is subject to the Court’s approval…”

The settlement in the civil price fixing case does not affect the antitrust price fixing case initiated by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in June. However, in that case, Tyson confirmed its cooperation with the DOJ under the Antitrust Division’s Leniency Program.

“Tyson took appropriate actions to address the internal issues and has been fully cooperating with the DOJ as part of its application for leniency under the DOJ’s Corporate Leniency Program,” the company said at the time. “A formal grant of leniency will mean that neither the company nor any of its employees will face criminal fines, jail time or prosecution.”

Other plaintiffs named in the direct purchasers’ civil lawsuit are Amick Farms, Case Farms, Claxton Poultry, Fieldale Farms, Foster Farms, George’s, Harrison Poultry, House of Raeford Farms, Koch Foods, Mar-Jac Poultry, Mountaire Farms, OK Foods, Peco Foods, Perdue Farms, Sanderson Farms, Simmons Foods and Wayne Farms.

Greeley, Colo.-based Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. also was named in the civil lawsuit and agreed to pay $75 million to settle claims made against the company. Other defendants to reach settlement agreements with the plaintiffs include Amick Farms, Fieldale Farms, George’s and Peco Foods.