Nothing like starting the year with some good news, for once.
We’re happy to report that consumers have won round one in our legal battle to hold Ben & Jerry’s accountable for its advertising and marketing claims.
Last summer, OCA sued Ben & Jerry’s for deceptive marketing and advertising. (We explained why, in this article we wrote last July).
Ben & Jerry’s tried to get the case dismissed—and lost.
From our press release:
In its ruling, the court agreed that consumers may have been misled by Ben & Jerry’s environmental responsibility statements into believing that the company’s ice cream products would be free of glyphosate.
The court also agreed that Ben & Jerry’s general messages about humane treatment of cows in the “Caring Dairy” program and “values-led sourcing” may mislead customers into believing that Ben & Jerry’s uses ingredients only from dairy farms with higher-than-average animal welfare standards, when the evidence may suggest otherwise.
This doesn’t mean the legal battle is over. But the court’s decision is a big win for consumers.
To all of you who have signed petitions, called Ben & Jerry’s, posted on social media and just generally kept up the pressure, thank you!