Recent Cases
Incentive Awards $5,000 payment to each Named Plaintiffs.
Beginning May 2004, inform Jenny Craig clients who identify themselves as vegetarians who object to consuming animal gelatin, of alternative sources for purchase of vitamins that do not have animal gelatin capsules;
Change or reformulate the products appearing on its "vegetarian" and/or "meatless" menus, so that effective May 2004 (in conjunction with its roll-out of new menu programs), products on the "vegetarian" and/or "meatless" menus will not contain any by-products of animal slaughter, including specifically animal gelatin and animal rennet;
Take out an advertisement in the Vegetarian Times (at Jenny Craig's expense) offering a coupon for a twenty-five percent (25%) discount off of any one-time food purchase between $50 and $100 to all current or returning vegetarian clients. A "returning" client shall be defined as any individual who, was once a client of Jenny Craig, allowed his/her membership to lapse, and now is re-enrolling in a Jenny Craig program. The advertisement shall be taken out within three months of the roll-out of new products (as detailed in subparagraph 6(a), above). The coupon shall carry an expiration date of three months from the date of the publication of the advertisement. The coupon shall be honored at any Jenny-Craig-owned corporate center or by "Jenny Direct" mail order service, but shall not be honored at any franchise center.
COLGATE ANNOUNCES ON-LINE RESOURCES FOR VEGETARIANS
NEW YORK (December 10, 2003) – The Colgate Palmolive Company today announced the launch of expanded website resources for vegetarian consumers seeking ingredient information about Colgate consumer products. Colgate has offered a number of consumer products free of animal derived ingredients and has shared this product information with all consumers seeking it. With more consumers seeking such products, the Company is committed to making consumer identification and selection of these products easier.
Additional information will now be available on-line at Colgate.com to highlight company products free of animal derived ingredients. As part of this expanded information program, the Company will also provide additional brochures and fact sheets and make its specially-trained Consumer Affairs representatives available for phone inquires.
In announcing these new resources, Colgate thanked consumer class action attorney Harish Bharti and his clients for their encouragement and assistance in this disclosure, and the development of the consumer information and specialist training materials.
Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Household Surface Care, Fabric Care and Pet Nutrition In the U.S., Colgate sells its quality products under such nationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Ajax, Irish Spring, Softsoap, Murphy Oil Soap, Ultra Brite and Fab, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet pet foods. For more information about Colgate-Palmolive and its products, visit the company’s web site at www.Colgate.com<
McDonald's Settlement Agreement
McDonald’s sincerely apologizes to Hindus, vegetarians and others for failing to provide the kind of information they needed to make informed dietary decisions at our U.S. restaurants.
We acknowledge that, upon our switch to vegetable oil in the early 1990’s for the purpose of reducing cholesterol, mistakes were made in communicating to the public and customers about the ingredients in our French fries and hash browns. Those mistakes included instances in which French fries and hash browns sold at U.S. restaurants were improperly identified as “vegetarian.”
We regret we did not provide these customers with complete information, and we sincerely apologize for any hardship that these miscommunications have caused among Hindus, vegetarians and others. We should have done a better job in these areas, and we’re committed to doing a better job in the future.
As a direct result of these events, McDonald’s has enhanced its disclosures concerning the source of ingredients in its food products. This information is available at McDonald’s website, www.mcdonalds.com, and will be available at each store.
McDonald’s has created a Dietary Practice/Vegetarian Advisory Panel consisting of experts in consumer dietary practices that will advise McDonald’s on relevant dietary restrictions and guidelines, which McDonald’s and others can use for marketing to persons who follow those restrictions. As part of this settlement, McDonald’s is donating $10 million to Hindu, vegetarian and other groups whose charitable and educational activities are closely linked to the concerns of these consumers.
SETTLEMENT
Amount: $2.2 million, to be paid by Diamond Parking's collection agency
To: More than 50,000 parkers who paid up to a $30 additional penalty between Oct. 23, 1997, and May 31, 2002