Giant Eagle, Purveyor of Cheap Eggs, Sues "Egg Cartel."

Giant Eagle's pretty mad that egg costs have gone up.

That, according to Giant Eagle Inc., is the conclusion that U.S. egg producers reached in 1999, when talks began that led to a concerted reduction in hens and corresponding rise in prices. In a federal civil complaint filed last week, the region's dominant grocer charged it had been harmed by an egg cartel that, in the guise of protecting the chickens, hatched a price-fixing plot against consumers.

The last time I was in a Giant Eagle, I was surprised by how cheap eggs were. Of course, over the summer eggs were cheaper. The other day I found myself wishing for another salmonella scare so eggs get cheap again. They're even getting expensive at Associated.