Safeway Olive Oil Class Action Settlement Checks Mailed

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Top Class Actions viewers have started to receive checks from the Safeway olive oil class action settlement worth as much as $2.50.

The deadline to file a claim for the Safeway olive oil class action settlement passed on Feb. 16, 2018.

Qualifying consumers received vouchers and cash payments to compensate them for their previous purchase of olive oils covered in the Safeway class action settlement.

Plaintiff Rohini Kumar filed the Safeway olive oil class action lawsuit in May 2014, claiming that Safeway falsely advertised its store-brand olive oils as being “extra virgin olive oil” and “imported from Italy,” when they were not.

Kumar says that oils do not meet the processing standards characteristic of extra virgin olive oils, and come from olives growing in countries other than Italy.

The Safeway olive oil class action lawsuit takes issue with the labeling of three types of Safeway oils — those labeled as “pure,” “extra virgin,” and “extra light” oils.

Safeway agreed to settle the olive oil class action lawsuit to avoid the further risk and time commitments of pursing further litigation, but continues to deny any wrongdoing on its part, saying that the labeling of its olive oil is not deceptive or misleading.

Under the terms of the settlement, Safeway has agreed to not label their olive oils as “imported from Italy,” unless the oils are made from 100 percent Italian olives.

In cases in which the oils contain olives sourced from places other than Italy, the oils will be labeled as “imported.” Safeway has agreed to enact these changes for at least the next three years.

Kumar claimed that Safeway labeled their olive oils as “extra virgin” but did not bottle them or handle them in was that would maintain their “extra virgin” standard of quality.

Allegedly, the company’s methods of handling and bottling the oils caused them to reduce in quality to a standard below the “extra virgin” categorization before the “best by” or retail “sell by” dates printed on the olive oil’s labels.

The Safeway olive oil class action lawsuit argued that because the products decreased in quality to below “extra virgin” standards before the “sell by,” or “best buy” dates, consumers did not receive the product they thought they were receiving when they purchased the products.

To remedy this problem, as part of the Safeway olive oil class action settlement deal, Safeway has agreed to meet the “extra virgin” standards for their oils labeled as such by bottling the extra virgin olive oils in green or brown glass containers and will use “best by” or “use by” dates no later than 18 months after the product’s bottling date.

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The Class Members were represented by Adam J. Gutride, Seth A. Safier and Kristen G. Simplicio of Gutride Safier LLP, and Hassan Zavareei of Tycko & Zavareei LLP.

The Safeway Olive Oil Class Action Lawsuit is Kumar v. Safeway Inc., Case No. RG 14726707, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Alameda.