A price-gouging lawsuit against Cal-Maine Foods brought by the state of Texas was dismissed "with prejudice" Aug. 13 by District Court of Harris County, Texas.

The lawsuit claimed Cal-Maine’s egg prices jumped from about $1 per dozen to more than $3 in the early days of the pandemic, creating a windfall for a company that controls nearly 20% of the nation’s egg sales.

But Cal-Maine countered that panic buying and other market influences drove up the price of eggs, which quickly settled into more-normal pricing.

"As we demonstrated to the court in our court filings and during oral argument, Cal-Maine Foods has never engaged in price gouging. Since 1957, we have strived to operate with honesty and integrity and will continue to do so going forward."