Sunny Queen Eggs, alongside 11 other egg producers and suppliers, are being sued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for breach of competition laws.

The 12 companies are accused of substantially reducing Australia’s egg competition from at least October 2020 by coordinating on egg production, supply, distribution, expansion plans, and perceived oversupply.

The ACCC filed a civil proceeding in the Federal Court on October 13, 2026, with Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb calling the alleged misconduct widespread and concerted.

“Our investigation has uncovered alleged widespread anti-competitive conduct in the egg industry that we allege has impacted the supply of eggs to Australian consumers,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

“Fair competition in the supply of fresh food such as eggs is extremely important. These companies are alleged to have coordinated in a range of decisions about their business operations, including the retailers each business could supply, what volumes they could produce and when to cull birds to manage periods of perceived over-supply.”

The Federal Court action involves some of Australia’s major egg suppliers, including Sunny Queen Pty Ltd (Sunny Queen), Doug Hall Poultry Pty Ltd (Hall), Alpair Pty Ltd (McLean Farms), and Ellerslie Free Range Farms Pty Ltd (Ellerslie), and relates to free-range, cage, and organic eggs.

In an interview with nine.com.au, a Sunny Queen spokesperson denied the allegations made against the company.

“Sunny Queen has cooperated fully with the ACCC throughout the course of its investigation. Sunny Queen denies the allegations and intends to defend the proceedings,” the spokesperson said.

“Over those five decades Sunny Queen has earned a reputation for ethical farming and consumer practices and remains committed to adhering to these high standards.

“While this process is underway, it’s business as usual for Sunny Queen, and we will continue to supply Australian families with fresh, nutritious eggs.”

The Federal Court scheduling for the hearing and judgment is yet to be announced.