Time is Running Out for Quorn Foods Settlement Claimants

The deadline to file a claim in a Quorn Foods class action settlement is just a few weeks away.

Class Members eligible to make a settlement claim include persons who purchased Quorn Foods products in the U.S. for their own personal use between Jan. 26, 2012 and Dec. 14, 2016.

Quorn consumers have until June 1 to file a Claim Form for this class action settlement.

Defendant Quorn Foods Inc. manufactures and markets ready-made vegan and vegetarian food products. When plaintiff Kimberly Birbower filed this Quorn Foods class action lawsuit in January 2016, she accused the company of falsely representing that the protein in its vegetarian meat-substitute food products was derived from mushrooms.

That protein, which the company terms “mycoprotein,” is actually derived from mold, according to Birbower. She claims that “mycoprotein” is merely Quorn Foods’ term for a product made from “fermented soil mold with added vitamins and flavors.”

“Quorn’s representations on its boxes are clearly designed to deceive consumers into believing they are purchasing a mushroom-based product, not a mold-based product,” Birbower alleged.

The labeling at issue describes mycoprotein as “a member of the fungi/mold family.” But Birbower points out that language appears only in the allergy warning section of the labeling. She claims Quorn Foods “intentionally buried” that language deep in the allergy section so that ordinary consumers would never see it.

Birbower claims Quorn Foods added the allergy language in 2015 only after several consumers got sick after eating Quorn products. One of those persons allegedly died.

The court granted preliminary approval of the Quorn Foods class action settlement in December 2016. Quorn Foods continues to deny Birbower’s allegations, and the settlement does not require the company to admit any fault.

Under terms of the Quorn Foods settlement, Quorum could end up paying an estimated $120 million. Among other costs, the settlement fund will cover payments to Class Members and a $5,000 incentive award for Birbower.

The settlement requires Quorn Foods to move the “Allergic Consumers” section of its food labeling to a more prominent place on the products’ packaging. The company will also stop using statements on its labeling that associate its fungi-derived products with “sought-after foods” such as “mushrooms, truffles and morels.”

Class Members who submit a valid claim can expect a full refund of the purchase price of their Quorn Foods products purchased within the Class period. Class Members must document their qualifying purchases either with copies of their receipts or with alternative documentation such as a debit or credit card statement that shows the purchase.

To file a Claim Form for the Quorn settlement, click here or visit QuornFoodsSettlement.com

The Quorn Foods Class Action Settlement is Birbrower v. Quorn Foods Inc., Case No. 2:16-cv-01346-DMG-AJW, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.