MSG False Ad Settlement Denied

A California federal court has denied a proposed settlement in a
consumer class action alleging Annie Chun’s® soup products, made by CJ America Inc., either contain monosodium glutamate or ingredients that
produce the substance during the cooking process despite being labeled
as “No MSG Added.” Petersen v. CJ America Inc., No. 14-2570 (S.D. Cal.,
order entered December 16, 2015).

The court rejected the bid to certify the class for purposes of the settlement,
finding the plaintiff had shown that the South Korean company
was subject to jurisdiction in California but not necessarily other states,
thus precluding the approval of a nationwide class. The parties reached
the proposed settlement in November 2015. Additional details appear in
Issue 584 of this Update.

Issue 588