Tag: California
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StarKist to Pay $100 Million in Price-Fixing Case
A California federal court has reportedly refused to lower the fine of $100 million that StarKist must pay following a guilty plea on charges of price fixing. The company apparently argued that the penalty could bankrupt it because it continues to face potential civil damages, but the court found that StarKist had legal recourse to…
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Chipotle Settles GMO Lawsuit for $6.5 Million
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has agreed to pay $6.5 million to settle allegations that it misleadingly marketed its food as free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Schneider v. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., No. 16-2200 (N.D. Cal., motion for preliminary approval filed September 11, 2019). Under the agreement, class members can receive 10 meals with proof…
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Raw Chicken Contains Excess Water, Plaintiff Alleges
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Trader Joe’s Co. sells raw poultry products that contain more retained water than indicated on the package. Webb v. Trader Joe’s Co., No. 19-1587 (S.D. Cal., removed August 23, 2019). The complaint alleges that the retained water in some packaged poultry was found to be…
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Whole Foods Water Contains Arsenic, Consumers Argue
Citing a Consumer Reports piece investigating the arsenic content of several bottled-water brands, three plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit alleging that Whole Foods Market Inc. sells water that “has some of the highest arsenic levels of any bottled water presently being marketed in the United States, with some bottles exceeding the maximum arsenic contamination levels…
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Court Dismisses Clif Bar White Chocolate Suit
A California federal court has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Clif Bars misled consumers into believing their bars contained white chocolate, but it granted the plaintiffs leave to amend their allegations. Joslin v. Clif Bar & Co., No. 18-4941 (N.D. Cal., entered August 26, 2019). The court first found that the plaintiffs failed to show…
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Advocacy Groups Sue FDA for Inaction on Foodborne Illness Programs
The Center for Food Safety and Center for Environmental Health have filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to promulgate rules for a program to improve foodborne-illness detection as required under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Ctr. for Food Safety v. Azar, No. 19-5168 (N.D. Cal., filed August…
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Coconut Milk “Healthy” Suit Dismissed
A California federal court has dismissed a putative class action complaint alleging that Danone U.S. Inc.’s So Delicious Coconut Milk is misleadingly marketed as healthful. Andrade-Heymsfield v. Danone U.S. Inc., No. 19-0589 (S.D. Cal., entered August 14, 2019). Danone argued that the challenged statements were not health or nutrient content claims, and the court assessed…
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Clif Bar Added Sugar Suit to Continue
A California federal court has denied Clif Bar & Co.’s motion to dismiss a putative class action alleging that its Clif bars contain high levels of sugar but are misleadingly marketed as healthful. Milan v. Clif Bar & Co., No. 18-2354 (N.D. Cal., entered August 20, 2019). The court disagreed with Clif’s argument that the…