U.S.: California court takes Dole's side in fruit mix labeling case - FreshFruitPortal.com

U.S.: California court takes Dole's side in fruit mix labeling case

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U.S.: California court takes Dole's side in fruit mix labeling case

A California district court has ruled in favor of Dole Food Company in a labeling case that began in April 2012, when a consumer first alleged the use of ascorbic and citric acids in its packaged goods made the label "All Natural Fruit" misleading.Dole containers panorama - Flickr - Port of San Diego

Plaintiff Chad Brazil claimed these acids were synthetic ingredients, but the company argued only natural fermentation was used in its fruit products and that the label just referred to the fruit itself.

Additionally, Dole claimed there was no evidence reasonable consumers would consider the "All Natural Fruit" label to be material in their purchasing decisions.

Judge Lucy H. Koh granted Dole's motion for a summary judgment in the district court of Northern California, San Jose division.

"Summary judgment is appropriate if, viewing the evidence and drawing all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, there are no genuine disputes of material fact, and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law," Koh said.

"Brazil's evidence is insufficient to create a genuine dispute of material fact."

Photo: Port of San Diego, via Flickr Creative Commons

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