Dannon’s US lawsuit

US company Dannon is preparing to defend itself in court against a proposed class action lawsuit that reportedly could drag on for years.

The lawsuit, filed in January, accused the North American unit of France’s Groupe Danone of mounting a false advertising campaign to convince consumers to pay more for yogurt containing probiotic bacteria because of the products’ health benefits.
The case said Dannon’s studies failed to support its advertised claims that its Activia and DanActive brands were clinically and scientifically proven to have health benefits that other types of yogurt did not.
Dannon’s chief executive, Juan Carlos Dalto notes: “We are fighting (the lawsuit) vigorously and we will follow this in court.”
Dalto said the company has run numerous clinical studies testing the effects that its Activia and DanActive yogurts have when eaten daily. “These tests are run in partnership with scientific groups and then reviewed by scientific experts before publication in scientific journals,” Dalto says. “We are very strong and convinced about what we’re doing. We are optimistic about the outcome.”