Date: 01-28-2008
Trish Wiener, a California resident, has sued the Dannon Company, Inc., for false advertising. The lawsuit, filed in a Los Angeles federal court, alleges that Dannon is falsely advertising its probiotic yogurts — DanActive, Activia, and Activia Light. The “massive and comprehensive” ad campaign claims that the yogurts boost immunity or regulate digestion because of certain bacteria they contain. Calling the campaign misleading, Wiener seeks reimbursement for everyone in the U.S. who purchased the products — an amount reaching $300 million. She also demands that Dannon adopt “a corrective advertising campaign.” “Deceptive advertising has enabled Dannon to sell hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ordinary yogurt at inflated prices to responsible, health conscious consumers,” said Timothy Blood, Wiener’s attorney, in a statement. However, a Dannon spokesman said that the company stands by its claims of the products’ benefits.
