General Mills has settled a lawsuit in the US questioning health claims associated with its YoPlus probiotic yoghurt.
A spokesperson for the group today (12 February) confirmed General Mills has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit that accused it of falsely advertising the digestive health benefits of its YoPlus probiotic yoghurt. The payout is expected to total around US$8.5m and General Mills will pay consumers $4 per unit purchased.
However, the spokesperson insisted General Mills is confident the health claims made in association with probiotic yoghurt products are accurate.
"We stand behind our products and the accuracy of our label - and we disagreed with plaintiffs on the merit of this case. But we agreed to resolve the matter to avoid further litigation," the spokesperson said.
General Mills did not comment on whether it is amending outbound communication around its YoPlus brand.
Probiotic health claims have come under increasing scrutiny in North America and, at the end of last year, Danone also agreed to settle a class action suit questioning the validity of its probiotic health claims.
