Judge Says Kraft Heinz’s Maxwell House, Yuban Coffee Settlement Is ‘Good to the Last Drop’

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A $16 million Kraft Heinz Goods Co. settlement has received final approval from a Florida judge, ending claims the company overstated the amount of grounds in its Maxwell House and Yuban brands’ coffee containers.

In an order published Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II riffed off Maxwell House’s company slogan, saying the settlement was “good to the last drop,” Law360 reported.

Plaintiff Kimberly Ferron originally filed the Maxwell House class action lawsuit in July, 2020, alleging Kraft Heinz deceptively labeled Maxwell House and Yuban ground coffee containers.

Ferron argued that the labels said the containers had enough in them for a certain number of cups of coffee. However in each case, the company had overstated how many cups you could brew from the container, using the listed instructions.

The Maxwell House lawsuit went to mediation and has ended with this $16 million settlement. As part of the settlement, class members who can provide proof of purchases for either coffee brand can get back $0.80 per unit, up to a maximum of $25.

Those without proof of purchase can get back $0.80 on six units maximum. Kraft Heinz will also fix the labels on the coffee. 

On Tuesday, Judge Ruiz II wrote that the settlement was fair, adequate and reasonable, Law360 reported.

“The fact that the settlement secures for the class significant monetary relief and ensures that (Kraft Heinz) will remove or correct the challenged language from its products weighs heavily in favor of approving the settlement,” he said. 

“Importantly, each class member obtains not only the benefit of the programmatic relief, but also the opportunity to recoup some or all of their alleged damages.”

He said more than 73 percent of the nationwide class was reached by a notice program that included a dedicated website, a settlement administrator phone number and ads in magazines. More than 41,000 had already submitted claims, with more than 39,000 valid, he said. 

“After careful consideration of the record and final approval motions, the court finds the instant settlement — which resolves claims regarding the purported mislabeling of ground coffee — is good to the last drop.” 

American food company Kraft Heinz is the third-largest food and beverage corporation in North America, and through the merging of two companies, Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz in 2015, has continued to grow and maintain its place as a well-known brand. 

Over the years the food company has faced backlash from both employees and consumers, with countless lawsuits and class action lawsuits resulting from a variety of allegations regarding Kraft’s operations. These allegations have ranged from claims of price fixing, false advertising, product contamination, claims of worker’s rights being abused, and more. 

Click here to learn more about the latest Kraft Heinz class action lawsuit updates and potential lawsuit settlement amounts to discover if there are any Kraft Heinz settlements or class action investigations that you may be able to join. 

Have you bought a product thinking there were more portions in it than there were? Let us know in the comments! 

Ferron is represented by Lydia S. Zbrzeznj and Nicholas T. Zbrzeznj of Southern Atlantic Law Group; L. DeWayne Layfield of the Law Office of L. DeWayne Layfield PLLC; Joel Oster of the Law Office of Howard W. Rubinstein PA; Todd Carpenter of Carlson Lynch LLP; L. Timothy Fisher of Bursor & Fisher PA; Benjamin Heikali of Faruqi & Faruqi LLP; and Christopher S. Shank of Shank & Heinemann LLC.

The Kraft Heinz Coffee Class Action Settlement is Kimberly E. Ferron v. Kraft Heinz Foods Co., Case No. 0:20-cv-62136, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

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• Maxwell House, Yuban Serving Sizes $16M Class Action Settlement
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