Continuing a trend, “all-natural” settlement includes no consumer payout.

  • As the food industry is well aware, numerous class action lawsuits continue to be filed in California and in other jurisdictions challenging the propriety of “natural” or “all-natural” claims for food products that contain processed ingredients and/or genetically modified ingredients.
  • In its recent settlement of an “all-natural” claim lawsuit involving fruit smoothies, defendant Jamba Juice scored a partial victory in not being required to concede liability or to pay damages to consumers.  Continuing a trend seen in several recent “natural” cases, the plaintiffs here were unable to present a viable model for calculating damages based on the allegedly deceptive “natural” claims.
  • Although “natural” litigation continues to be a thorn in the food industry’s side, the recent increase in cases and settlements in which judges have dismissed plaintiffs’ methods for calculating damages represents a hopeful trend for defendants facing similar circumstances.