The Justice Department announced in November that it is investigating the wholesale vitamin industry for possible price-fixing and collusion. A federal grand jury in Dallas is considering evidence from the probe of bulk sales of vitamins for humans and animals, a $3 billion industry. Several European companies dominate most of the bulk vitamin industry’s production. Hoffman-LaRoche Inc. has about 40% of the market, BASF 20%, and Rhone Poulenc 15%. Prices for most vitamin products have been rising at about 2% to 3% per year, but consumer demand for natural vitamins made from grains has driven recent price increases of as much as 10% to 12% annually for vitamin E.