McDonald's to pay more than $8.5 million to settle trans fat lawsuit

[truthpusher]

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/10880189.htm

Posted on Fri, Feb. 11, 2005

McDonald's to pay more than $8.5 million to settle trans fat lawsuit

Associated Press

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - McDonald's Corp. will pay $8.5 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the fast-food giant of failing to inform consumers of delays in a plan to reduce fat in the cooking oil used for its popular french fries and other foods.

BanTransFats.com, a nonprofit advocacy group, sued McDonald's in California state court in 2003, alleging the company did not effectively disclose to the public that it had not switched to a healthier cooking oil.

In September 2002, McDonald's announced it would lower trans fat in its cooking oils and said the switch would be completed in five months. In February 2003, McDonald's announced a delay. The lawsuit accused the Oak Brook, Ill.-based company of failing to adequately inform consumers of that delay.

more:

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/10880189.htm

[SoCalDem]

1. So... who gets the 8.5 million???

These "settlements" are always troubling to me.. The people harmed usually get little or nothing.. I would rather see them forced to close.:)

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[truthpusher]

4. The story said that 7 mil is going to the heart association. n/t

[SoCalDem]

6. That's good to hear

at least some good can come from it :)

although...seriously... is there ANYONE left in the world who thinks that fast food ...ANY of it .. is nutritious and good for you??

Fast Food places should just post signs that say:

This stuff tastes REALLY good , but it's NOT meant to be your entire diet.. Consume with caution..

[GetTheRightVote]

2. Good, they should not be lying to the consumer like that just for money

:kick:

[Name removed]

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[HuckleB]

7. Wrong.

Unless you use trans-fats while telling everyone that you're not, then you're not in the same bag as McDonald's...

That's a mighty BIG DIFFERENCE!

This should have cost them much more. This amount of money will do nothing to a company such as McDonald's. It will not change corporate behavior.

[DrWeird]

8. Not at all.

McDonald's reports how much fat is in there food, you see it in a table on the wall when you walk in their restaurants, they're in those little nutrional information pamphlets they have on the condiments table. If they're lying about that information, they're liable.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

9. There's a distinct odor on this thread

and it ain't a Big Mac and Fries! :hi:

[DrWeird]

10. yeah

smells like leftover pizza.

[johncoby2]

11. Nothing like paying $8 Million for a frivolous lawsuit.

Yep. They got caught. In something.

Everyone know about the mcdonalds coffee settlement?

[depakid]

13. Actually, I know A LOT about it

Do you?

[johncoby2]

14. Yes I do too. It was a question to inspire discussion. eom

[Oreegone]

12. that is nice

They put it on the tables....the problem is...they don't have to tell you how much Transfats are in their food yet....so it's all very misleading. They are full of shit just like Lay's who said they would start producing foods without transfats...now 10 months later, they have some corn chips without them, but that is all. If its not required on the label, and they don't show them, how are you to know????????????/

[trapper914]

15. Maybe I'm Missing Something Here

They announced in September they'd lower trans fats in five months. When the 5 months was up, they announced a delay. What was the crime here? Post-February 2003, did they innacurately advertise they were lower trans fat?

Granted, I have little good to say about McDonald's, but this seems a little heavy handed to me.