Haas is a German citizen and Bichlbauer is Austrian. This is the fifth round of cases filed as a result of the Department's ongoing investigation into illegal, collusive practices in the food and feed additives industry. Today's charges mark another chapter in the Department's ongoing investigations being conducted by the San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta Field Offices of the Antitrust Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in San Francisco and Springfield, Illinois, and the U.S. Attorneys' Office in Chicago.
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. The charges against Hoffmann-La Roche, Haas, Jungbunzlauer, and Bichlbauer were filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The pleading parties have authorized the government to disclose the basic terms of the plea agreements under which the charges were filed. As part of their plea agreements, which must be accepted by the court, the parties have agreed to cooperate in the ongoing government investigations. Today's charges against Swiss, Austrian and German defendants, coupled with earlier food and feed additives industry cases against Japanese, Korean, German and American defendants, demonstrates that we will prosecute members of price fixing cartels wherever they are located.