For those of you who've watched a lot of these segments I do with Scott Hardy from Top Class
Actions, you've probably heard us talk a lot about malic acid.
Malic acid is a naturally occurring chemical found in tons of different kinds of food products,
but it can also be made synthetically and in a lot of instances food companies are using
malic acid as an artificial flavoring, but they're still trying to claim that their products
do not contain artificial flavorings.
And we have yet another one of those today with a fruit roll-up class action.
Scott Hardy from Top Class Actions is here with me right now.
So Scott, tell us what this class action is alleging about these fruit roll-ups.
Sure.
As you and I have discussed in the past Farron, we had these class actions that pop up because
the manufacturers are really hopping onto that organic or all natural or naturally flavored
bandwagon.
Because us as consumers, especially when it comes to products for our kids, we like to
know that there aren't a lot of chemicals, there aren't a lot of additives in there that
can go ahead and affect, potentially negatively impact our kids.
And so we buy, we pay a premium for these products that have that natural flavoring.
Well in this class action, the fruit roll-up class action, we have, the class action alleges
that they are saying that it is naturally flavored.
And on the box itself it says naturally flavored.
But you have malic acid which is used as a flavor enhancer and they are not using this,
they are not getting this naturally.
They're actually adding this as a synthetic ingredient to give it that tart flavor and
make these things more flavorful.
So far on Top Class Actions, we've received more than 500 people commenting on this particular
lawsuit saying, I had no idea.
I buy these all the time for my kids.
Add me, include me into this lawsuit because I want to be able to submit a claim because
they feel that they may have been duped.
Well, and that's just the thing here is, you know, people, parents especially, obviously
they go down these snack aisles.
If you go shopping with your kids, you know how tough this could be.
I want this one.
I want this and I want this one.
And you try to make them happy, you know, if they need it for school lunches, if it's
just a good, you know, thing for them to have around the house, you want to go for something
that's a little bit more natural, you know, you don't want to go for the cookies.
Maybe this has real fruit in it.
Maybe this has no artificial flavors.
You're going to try to do what's best for your kids and, you know, keep them as healthy
as possible while also giving them a treat that they want.
And fruit roll-ups kind of fit in that little niche there.
You know, hey, we've got no artificial flavorings.
It's all natural.
This is a good alternative to some of the other sugary sweets that are all, you know,
synthetic.
You don't want this.
And that's why people buy them.
At least, you know, based on the comments that this article's gotten, that's what people
chose.
That's why they chose them.
That claim, that all natural claim made people pick this product.
So if it's not all natural, they want 100% were duped by the company's marketing.
Exactly, I mean, marketers know this about us.
They know that we want to go ahead and get our kids the very best item that we can to
keep them healthy.
You know, they're, they're sitting there, all of our kids now are back to school.
They're in these giant germ factories that we call schools and we want to make sure that
they're staying healthy and they have every little benefit possible, including not putting
anything synthetic into their system.
So we can't have companies going ahead and claim that they're using an all natural flavoring
when it's synthetic and petrol based.
And that's, that's what gets me too is, you know, all you have to do is not have that
on the box.
Yes, it may cost you a little bit in sales here and there, but it's gonna maybe save
you money in the long term.
You're not going to have to hire a team of lawyers.
You're not going to have to go through what will likely be an eventual settlement.
I, I'm firmly convinced you and I will be sitting here, you know, maybe a year from
now, maybe six months from now talking about a fruit roll-up settlement, but the company
is probably going to have to pay something out for this.
Or at the very least they've going to have to pay some lawyers when in reality if they
had just been honest at the start, they wouldn't have to pay for any of these things that are
likely on the horizon for them.
Exactly.
We'll probably see a settlement like you said, that will pop out there and all of the dedicated
moms and dads out there who are buying these for their kids will probably get some kind
of $5 or $10 gift, you know, gift certificate to buy the newly relabeled fruit roll-ups
for their kids.
And that'll be a good benefit for everybody out there who are packing lunches.
Absolutely.
For more information on this particular issue, follow the link in the description of this
video.
Head on over to Top Class Actions and while you're there, make sure you sign up for their
weekly newsletter.
Scott Hardy with Top Class Actions.
Thank you very much for talking with me today.
You're welcome.
Thanks for your time, Farron.