Settlement Approved in Ghirardelli White Chocolate Case

A California federal court has preliminarily approved a settlement in a case
alleging that Ghirardelli failed to include white chocolate, cocoa or cocoa
butter in its white chocolate chips. Miller v. Ghirardelli Chocolate Co., No.
12-4936 (U.S. Dist. Ct., N.D. Cal., San Francisco Div., order entered October
2, 2014). Additional details about the settlement appear in Issue 535 of this
Update, and further information about the litigation appears in Issues 465 and
479 of this Update. Under the agreement, Ghirardelli will pay $5.25 million
to a common fund to distribute to class members. Notices to potential class
members will appear in People magazine and the Oakland Tribune and on
several popular websites, and any leftover balance in the settlement fund
will be divided among several consumer and food organizations, including
Consumers Union and Florida State University’s Food & Nutrition Science
Department. A fairness hearing is scheduled for February 2015.

Issue 540