Final Court Approval Given to Trans Fat Class Settlement

A federal court in California has approved a non-monetary settlement of a class action alleging that Unilever U.S., Inc.’s health-related claims for margarine products containing trans fats were false and misleading. Rosen/ Red v. Unilever U.S., Inc., Nos. 09-02563, 10-00387 (N.D. Cal, decided June 21, 2011). Additional information about the settlement appears in Issue 398 of this Update. Unilever denied any wrongdoing but agreed to reformulate its stick and spread products to remove partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. A number of excluded, individual claims against the company will not be affected by the settlement.