General Mills Fruit Snacks Settlement Rejected After No Class Member Rebate Offered

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A federal judge has rejected a proposed settlement in a class action lawsuit claiming General Mills deceptively labeled various fruit-flavored snacks as containing “no artificial flavors.”  

Lead plaintiff, California resident Chrystal Hilsley alleged that she was duped into paying $2 to $3 each for various fruit snacks featuring television and movie characters, such as Scooby-Doo, SpongeBob, and Trolls in her General Mills class action lawsuit filed in 2018.  

General Mills agreed to alter the labels on certain fruit snacks and also add information to its website as a part of a class action settlement in September 2020. Specifically, General Mills agreed to place an asterisk next to the statement “No Artificial Flavors” on the fruit snack’s packaging and direct consumers to the company’s website.  

General Mill’s website would contain information about the so-called natural flavors at issue in the class action lawsuit, but no monetary compensation was included for Class Members.  

The proposed settlement rejected by U.S. District Judge James Lorenz earlier this month after a plaintiff in another General Mills fruit snacks class action lawsuit intervened in opposition to the agreement.  

In his order rejecting the deal, Judge Lorenz noted that “the class receives no monetary award while the counsel receives $725,000 for fees and costs, and each named Plaintiff receives $5,000.” In addition, General Mills would receive a “kicker,” meaning that any unpaid settlement funds would go back to the company and not used in a way that would benefit the Class.  

Further, the settlement agreement would broadly release claims by a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased General Mills’ fruit snacks, including a separate class action lawsuit filed in federal court in Illinois, noted the judge.  

The parties have until July 7, 2021, to file any further motions in the class action settlement.  

Do you think the General Mills fruit snacks class action settlement should offer more to Class Members? Tell us in the comment section below! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Ronald A. Marron, Michael T. Houchin, and Lilach Halperin of the Law Offices of Ronald A. Marron and David Elliot of the Law Office of David Elliot. 

The California General Mills Fruit Snacks Class Action Lawsuit is Crystal Hilsley, et al. v. General Mills Inc., et al., Case No. 3:18-cv-00395-L-BLM, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. 

The intervenor is represented by Todd M. Friedman and Adrian R. Bacon of the Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman. 

The Illinois General Mills Fruit Snacks Class Action Lawsuit is Hayes v. General Mills Inc., and General Mills Sales Inc., Case No. 19-cv-05626 in the U.S District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  

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• General Mills Class Action Says Fruit Snacks Contain Artificial Flavors
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