New York food banks are about to get a large delivery of eggs — 1.2 million to be exact.
The huge donation from Hillandale Farms is part of an agreement reached between the company and Attorney General Letitia James, after Hillandale Farms was sued for price-gouging during the pandemic.
Hillandale can no longer excessively price its eggs as part of the agreement.
James said Hillandale "hatched a plan that targeted our state's most vulnerable in its darkest hour," when it raised its prices to "unprecedented levels" while New Yorkers scrambled to stock up on food.
The lawsuit alleged hundreds of Brooklyn stores were impacted by markups that were passed on to consumers, including Stop & Shops, BJ's Wholesale Clubs, Associated Supermarkets, Western Beef and U.S. military bases at West Point, Fort Hamilton and Fort Drum.
Hillandale quadrupled the price of more than 4 million eggs during March and April, with many going to low-income communities in New York at the height of the pandemic, and the company made around $4 million during March and April from price markups, the lawsuit stated.
"Today, we're delivering 1.2 million eggs to feed hungry New Yorkers and make things right," James said. "New Yorkers can trust that I will always stand up for our state's working families."
The 100,000 cartons will go to food banks across the state, which will distribute the eggs to thousands of food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.
Food Bank for New York City President and CEO Leslie Gordon said it was projected that 1.6 million New Yorkers would face food insecurity this year, and the donation would have a huge impact, "serving our most vulnerable families struggling to put food on the table."
"At a time when our city is still reeling from COVID-19, a donation like this will allow us to provide our network of nearly 1,000 soup kitchens and food pantries across the five boroughs with a sustainable source of protein."
