Triumph Foods is First Processor to File Claims Against Prop 12, Adds Pork to DOJ’s Litigation Effort Against California
September 24, 2025 | 2 min to read
Triumph Foods has initiated a lawsuit against Proposition 12, a California law regulating the sale of eggs and pork based on specific farming practices. The company argues that federal regulations already govern pork production, asserting that state laws can't interfere with federally regulated activities. This legal challenge also builds on Triumph’s prior success against Massachusetts’ Question 3, which faced similar constitutional issues. Upholding federal authority, Triumph aims to protect the national food supply from conflicting state regulations.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Triumph Foods has filed a lawsuit against Proposition 12 (Prop 12), a California law that bans the sale of eggs and pork unless they come from farms operated in a manner dictated by special interest groups’ food preferences. This lawsuit includes claims never pursued by any plaintiff and expands the challenge against Prop 12 by the U.S. Department of Justice, which filed claims against Prop 12’s egg provisions.
“Congress has already acted and regulates pork production in our country,” said Matt England, President and CEO of Triumph Foods. “A national food supply chain depends on consistent regulation from the federal government, free from a patchwork of interfering state requirements.”
Triumph’s lawsuit builds upon the company’s approach against Massachusetts’ Question 3 (Q3), where Triumph was successful in obtaining an order from the district court striking down part of that state law for violations of the dormant Commerce Clause. The same unconstitutional provision exists in Prop 12.
The claims filed against Prop 12 include that the federal government already regulates Triumph Foods – and similar U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected facilities – and that states cannot add to and interfere with those regulated spaces when preempted by the authority of Congress.
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held (National Meat Ass’n. v. Harris) that Congress has already enacted legislation in this space, and that state laws that usurp the federal government’s role and disrupt our nation’s food supply are unconstitutional.
About Triumph Foods
Triumph Foods is a leading processor of premium pork products worldwide. The farmer-owned company began operations in St. Joseph, Mo., in January 2006. With its state-of-the-art facility, Triumph employs over 2,400 workers and produces over 1.5 billion pounds of pork annually. For more information, visit triumphfoods.com.