A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit that claims Dean Foods conspired with another milk processor and a dairy cooperative to reduce competition in the milk industry.
Dallas-based Dean Foods merged with Suiza Foods in 2001. At the time, they were the country's two largest bottlers of processed milk. The Department of Justice allowed the merger with certain conditions that were intended to ensure competition in the industry. That included selling some bottling facilities to a newly formed partnership called National Dairy Holdings, also based in Dallas.
