Price Gouging by Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.
Press Release
AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today filed a lawsuit against Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the dominant egg supplier in Texas, for taking unfair advantage of the Governor’s COVID-19 disaster declaration and raising the price of eggs by around 300 percent without any supply issues or significant disruptions. Price gouging laws apply to any person or entity selling necessities, such as food, at an exorbitant or excessive price after a disaster has been declared by the Governor or the President. This prohibition includes those who supply retailers.
“No one is exempt from price gouging laws in Texas, including suppliers of grocery stores and pharmacies,” said Attorney General Paxton. “My office will not tolerate any person or business taking advantage of hardworking Texans. Those who violate the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act will be met with the full force of the law.”
Under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, any price-gougers may be required to reimburse consumers and may be held liable for civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, with an additional penalty of up to $250,000 if the affected consumers are elderly.
Texans who believe they have encountered price gouging or disaster scams should call the Office of the Attorney General’s toll-free complaint line at (800) 621-0508 or
. For additional information on disaster scams, please visit our
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For information on the spread or treatment of Coronavirus (COVID-19), please visit the
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Texas Receives Approval for SNAP Online Grocery Purchases
Press Release
AUSTIN –Texas Health and Human Services recently received federal approval to allow Texans to purchase groceries online using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pilot program is expected to start by May 18 statewide.
"By allowing SNAP recipients to purchase groceries online throughout the COVID-19 response, we are removing barriers to healthy and nutritious food for many families in Texas," said Governor Greg Abbott. "I am grateful to our federal partners at the USDA for approving this request. As the Lone Star State continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are exhausting all avenues to both protect the health and safety of Texans while ensuring families, including recipients of SNAP, have the ability to provide for their families during this challenging time."
“Because families, including SNAP recipients, have had to adjust to social distancing and staying home when possible, some homes have encountered challenges when finding certain grocery items,” said HHS Access and Eligibility Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter. “Adding another option for Texans using SNAP to get the healthy and nutritious food their families need helps ease the minds of families and limit their exposure to COVID-19.”
With approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, HHSC is implementing a pilot program to allow online grocery purchasing for SNAP clients in Texas. Walmart and Amazon are the first retailers to join the pilot in Texas, scheduled to start by May 18.
This announcement is the latest change Gov. Abbott and HHSC has made to the SNAP program in response to COVID-19, and SNAP clients are now receiving their maximum eligible allotment and have also had renewal requirements temporarily waived.
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Comfort Food Care Packages For Texas Youth And Families
AUSTIN - Governor Greg Abbott today announced the Comfort Food Care Package (CFCP) program to provide meals for at-risk youth and families in communities across Texas as the state responds to COVID-19. As part of the program, participating restaurants offer CFCPs for patrons to purchase on behalf of families and youth in need. Each care package contains enough food to feed a family of 5 to 6 and will be delivered to recipients’ homes. The program is a partnership between the Governor's Public Safety Office, the Texas network of Family and Youth Success Programs (formerly called Services to At-Risk Youth), Favor Delivery, and the Texas Restaurant Association.
"Thank you to the generous Texans and restaurants across the state for stepping up to provide meals to families in need," said Governor Abbott. "The Comfort Food Care Package program will provide at-risk youth and families with an additional food source, while giving Texans another way to support local restaurants and their fellow Texans experiencing hardships due to COVID-19."
"This innovative new program is a win for communities and restaurants across Texas," said Emily Williams Knight, Ed.D., President and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association. "By harnessing the generosity of Texans, customers can now support their communities and their favorite restaurants at the same time. I’m proud we could partner with Governor Abbott and Favor to launch this program so quickly. While we can’t predict when the impact of this crisis will end, we can find comfort in knowing that we have a new way to ensure everyone receives a meal and by doing that, we will help to keep local restaurants running."
The Comfort Food Care Package program utilizes the following steps:
Participating restaurants list CFCPs on their online ordering system for customers to purchase on behalf of at-risk families and youth in the community.
Customers add CFCPs to their orders and purchase.
Family and Youth Success Programs identify families and shelters who have the most need and work with participating restaurants and Favor to get the meals delivered.
Families interested in utilizing the CFCP program should contact their local Family and Youth Success Program for more information. Restaurants interested in participating in the program can sign up on the Texas Restaurant Association website.
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