Beef Settlement Payout Status: Claims Closed June 2026, Money Not Yet Sent

Who qualifies

• The class covered people and entities who indirectly purchased qualifying beef products for personal consumption between August 1, 2014 and December 31, 2019 — "indirectly" meaning bought at a grocery store or supermarket rather than from a defendant.
• Only fresh or frozen beef made from chuck, loin, rib or round primal cuts counted. Ground beef, and any beef that was marinated, seasoned, flavored, breaded or cooked, was outside the class.
• Premium and specialty beef was also excluded: USDA Prime, organic, 100% grass-fed, Wagyu, "American-Style Kobe Beef," No Antibiotics Ever, antibiotic-free, kosher, halal and certified humane.
• The purchase had to be made in one of 27 repealer jurisdictions: Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia or Wisconsin.
• No proof of purchase was required, which is why this settlement drew broad interest — but the product and jurisdiction limits still applied to every claim.
• Defendants, their officers, directors and employees, entities they control, their affiliates and legal representatives, government entities, the presiding judicial officers and their immediate families and staff, and assigned jurors were all excluded.

Where the beef settlement stands and what happens next

1. 1

   August 2014 to December 2019 — the class period

   The consumer indirect purchaser plaintiffs — 28 named individuals who bought beef at grocery stores — alleged that JBS, Cargill, National Beef and Tyson Foods entered a market allocation agreement, stopped competing against each other for market share, and thereby raised their own margins and the price consumers paid for beef. The claims were brought under the antitrust laws of 27 states and jurisdictions that allow indirect purchasers to sue.

2. 2

   Tyson and Cargill settle; JBS and National Beef do not

   Two of the four defendant groups settled. Tyson Foods, Inc. and Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. agreed to pay $55 million; Cargill, Inc. and Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation agreed to pay $32.5 million. Both also agreed to non-monetary relief. JBS USA Food Company, Swift Beef Company, JBS Packerland, Inc. and National Beef Packing Company, LLC remain non-settling defendants.

3. 3

   March 30, 2026 — opt-out and objection deadlines

   Class members who wanted to keep the right to sue Cargill and Tyson individually had to exclude themselves by March 30, 2026. The same date was the deadline to object. Anyone who did neither stayed in the class and is bound by the releases as to Cargill and Tyson — but not as to any other defendant.

4. 4

   May 26 and 27, 2026 — the hearing and final approval

   The court held the fairness hearing on May 26, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. CDT and granted final approval on May 27, 2026. The court awarded class counsel — Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP — attorneys' fees of up to one third of the gross settlement amount, $8,871,642.26 in costs and expenses, and $2,000 service awards to each class representative, all paid from the settlement funds.

5. 5

   June 30, 2026 — the claim window closes

   Claims had to be submitted online or postmarked by June 30, 2026. Claims filed after that date are not considered. A single claim form covered both the Tyson and the Cargill settlements.

6. 6

   Now — claims review, then payment

   The administrator is reviewing all claims and giving deficient claims time to respond before any distribution. Payments follow that review, and the administrator has published no date. If you filed a claim and your mailing or email address changes, write to the administrator at Consumer Indirect Beef Litigation, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 3605, Portland, OR 97208-3605.

7. 7

   If you missed it — the case continues

   The litigation against JBS and National Beef is still live. Class members who did not file remain in the class and keep the opportunity to participate in any future settlements or judgments obtained against the non-settling defendants. Missing the Tyson and Cargill deadline did not remove anyone from that possibility.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and official records

Every figure and date on this page was taken from the primary records below — court dockets, agency releases, and the settlement administrator's own notices. Payout averages we describe as averages are calculated from the official totals, not reported per-person estimates.

• Official settlement website — the $87.5 million total, the $55M Tyson and $32.5M Cargill split, the August 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019 class period, the June 30, 2026 claim deadline, the May 26, 2026 fairness hearing and the May 27, 2026 final approval
• Settlement FAQ — the case caption and docket (In re: Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation, No. 0:22-md-3031, D. Minn., Judge John R. Tunheim), the covered primal cuts and excluded product categories, the 27 repealer jurisdictions, the non-settling JBS and National Beef defendants, and the fee, cost and service-award awards