Dive Brief:

• Kraft Foods Group and Mondelez International, accused of manipulating wheat prices, are asking a judge to drop two counts from a Commodity Futures Trading Commission case.
• The two companies say the CFTC's claims aren't proof of deception.
• The alleged act occurred before Mondelez's formation in 2012. Kraft said its dealings "tell a straightforward story of a snack-food company doing the best it could to purchase wheat at sound prices in a difficult market."

Dive Insight:

This is just one of two lawsuits against the two companies regarding this issue. 

Aitan Goelman, the CFTC's Director of Enforcement, stated: "A market participant who is not happy with cash prices available to it may not resort to manipulative trading strategies in an attempt to artificially lower that price."

CFTC seeks a permanent injunction from future violations of federal commodities laws, disgorgement, and civil monetary penalties.