Nutella: Consumer Class Action Settlement
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Two moms took a big food corporation to court over false advertising and won their case — and now you can get a cut of it.
Their goal was to get the maker of Nutella to admit that, contrary to its ads, the product is no more healthy than a candy bar.
Laura Rude-Barbato, mother of three took the maker of Nutella to court and won. Athena Hohenberg, a San Diego mother of a 4-year-old daughter also took the company to court.
Rude-Barbato said their television ad which claimed that “Nutella is made with simple, quality ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of coco,” was false.
“I thought it was at least as nutritious as peanut butter if not more and that’s the impression I got from the advertisement. I thought it had health benefits and it clearly doesn’t,” she said.
After watching the ads, Rude-Barbato was shocked to discover that what she had been feeding her children wasn’t healthy at all.
In fact, just two tablespoons of Nutella contains 200 calories, 21 grams of sugar and 11 grams of fat.
“I felt duped,” said Rude-Barbato.
In Hohenberg’s suit, she claimed that she “was shocked to learn” that Nutella “was the next best thing to a candy bar.”
The company website still asserts: “when used in moderation with complementary foods, Nutella® is a quick and easy tool to encourage kids to eat whole grains, such as whole wheat toast.”
Rude-Barbato fought back for truth in advertising and the maker of Nutella, Fererro USA awarded her $3.5 million — that’s anywhere from $4 to $20 per person.
Any consumer who bought Nutella between Jan. 1, 2008 and Feb. 3, 2012, (or Aug. 1, 2009 and Jan. 23, 2012 in California) can file a claim.
To find out more about the consumer class action settlement click here.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio