Dannon Settles Yogurt Class-Action Lawsuit

WHITE PLAINS, N.YThe Dannon Company, Inc. announced the settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed in January 2008 alleging misleading advertising about its Activia® and DanActive® yogurt products.

Under the settlement, Dannon will make certain changes and enhancements to the labeling and marketing of Activia and DanActive to, among other things, increase the visibility of the scientific names of the unique strains of probiotics that are in each of these products. This information continues to be available on the products Web sites, along with the scientific substantiation for the health-benefit claims. Dannon also agreed to create a fund of up a $35-million fund to reimburse qualified consumers up to $100 for products purchased.

The decision to settle this case is based on the companys desire to avoid the distraction and expense of litigation and to quickly resume 100-percent focus on making products that provide proven health benefits to millions of highly satisfied consumers. This resolves the plaintiffs concerns while affirming the essence of the claims of Activia and DanActive, which are substantiated by years of scientific research, said Michael Neuwirth, spokesperson for Dannon.