If you engage in collusive behavior that robs U.S. consumers, there will be vigorous investigation and tough, tough penalties. Also, the Department said that manufacturers of soft drinks, processed foods, detergents, and others, paid millions more to buy the citric acid additive, which ultimately caused consumers to pay more for those products. Today's charges arose in connection with extensive investigations into illegal, collusive practices by the producers of lysine and citric acid being conducted by the Chicago and San Francisco Field Offices of the Antitrust Division, the office of United States Attorney James B. Burns in Chicago, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Springfield, Illinois and San Francisco, California. Lysine is an amino acid used by farmers as a feed additive to ensure the proper growth of livestock.
Citric acid is a flavor additive and preservative produced from various sugars.
It is found in soft drinks, processed food, detergents, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. These are the Department's second round of charges brought as a result of its ongoing antitrust investigation into the food and feed additives industries. We have reason to believe that international cartels are by no means rare. We will vigorously pursue such violations on our own as well as in cooperation with law enforcement authorities in other countries. The two-count felony criminal information against ADM was filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.