The Department of Justice's antitrust division is investigating whether major meatpacking companies engaged in criminal anti-competitive conduct, according to multiple reports.

Bloomberg reported that DOJ lawyers are investigating four large meatpackers: Cargill, JBS, National Beef, and Tyson Foods. The investigation focuses on potential violations of antitrust laws in the meatpacking industry.

Cargill and Tyson Foods are U.S.-based companies, while JBS is a Brazil-based multinational corporation. National Beef is also among the companies under scrutiny in the federal investigation.

The investigation represents the latest government effort to examine competitive practices in the highly consolidated meatpacking industry. The four companies under investigation are among the largest processors of beef and other meat products in the United States.

Details about the specific conduct being investigated or the timeline of the probe were not immediately available. The companies have not publicly responded to reports of the investigation.