According to OGlobo, Pilgrim's Pride, a JBS company, was revealed as the largest donor to President Trump's administration in a recent financial report, with a donation of US$5 million—more than any other company, including large technology and financial companies. The NGO Mighty Earth reported that this information was shared just days before JBS confirmed that the US SEC had approved its proposal to list its shares on the NYSE, despite NGOs warning investors that the company's new structure would transfer 85% of voting control to the Batista family, seriously limiting the opportunities for minority shareholders to run the company, including on ESG issues.

Pilgrim’s Pride, a U.S. subsidiary of JBS, as described in the settlement, has agreed to pay USD 41.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed by investors who accused the company of artificially inflating its share price through misleading statements. The shareholders alleged that the company concealed a widespread price-fixing scheme aimed at charging artificially high prices for chicken.

As reported by Reuters, the fast food chain McDonald’s has sued JBS, Tyson Foods and other leading companies in the meat processing and packing sector. According to the complaint, the companies coordinated for years to restrict the supply of meat in the market, artificially inflating prices. The lawsuit is being heard in a U.S. federal court.

As revealed in Bloomberg Law, JBS has been the target of a class action lawsuit filed by Black employees alleging racial discrimination at the company’s meatpacking plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania, in the United States. According to the complaint, the thirteen employees claim they were subjected to racial insults by managers and coworkers, denied promotions and pay raises, and forced to work in lower-paid areas of the plant.

According to reports by the U.S. Department of Labor, a third-party company providing cleaning services for JBS employed at least 31 children, aged between 13 and 17, to perform hazardous tasks. These activities included cleaning high-risk motorized equipment during night shifts at thirteen facilities located across eight states in the US. The case was settled with a payment of USD 1.5 million by the subcontracted company, Packers Sanitation Services Inc.

Pilgrim’s Pride, a U.S. subsidiary of JBS, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay fines for its involvement in a price-fixing and bid-rigging scheme related to the sale of chicken products, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The case was closed in 2025 with the payment of a reduced fine of USD 41 million.