Do you remember Fruit Roll-Ups? You peeled them from the plastic and they were good and good for you, right? Well, maybe not, according to a class action lawsuit filed against General Mills for allegedly false claims about the product’s nutritional value.
In a story at foodanddrinkdigital.com, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed the class action claiming that General Mills markets Fruit Roll-Ups as a nutritional and wholesome alternative when it is not. “General Mills is basically dressing up a very cheap candy as if it were a fruit and charging a premium for it,” said the attorney for the class.
General Mills labels the product as “low fat” and a “good source of Vitamin C.” However, the plaintiffs’ class action complaint said that Fruit Roll-Ups actually contain trans fat, artificial food dyes and sugar. A General Mills spokesperson said the company stands by its product and its labeling.
This is not the first time that General Mills has been criticized for product labeling. In 2009, it labeled boxes of Cheerios saying they were “clinically proven” to reduce cholesterol. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigated and Cheerios removed the claim from boxes.
Will this affect your decision to give your kids Fruit Roll-Ups?