Dannon being sued for misleading claims.

On January 23rd, law firms Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins and Mager & Goldstein, both of Los Angeles, CA, filed a class-action lawsuit against the Dannon Company, White Plains, NY, for misleading consumers about the benefits of its products, Activia, Activia Light and DanActive. The law firms claim specifically that Dannon mounted a massive false advertising campaign to convince consumers to pay more for yogurt containing "probiotic" bacteria because of the products' health benefits.

Dannon responded a day later, saying it is aware of the lawsuit and is reviewing it. The company said further that it proudly stands by the claims of its products and the clinical studies that support them. "All of Dannon's claims for Activia and DanActive are completely supported by peer-reviewed science and are in accordance with all laws and regulations," a company statement said. "Dannon's advertising has always been and will continue to be absolutely truthful, and Dannon will vigorously challenge this lawsuit." (For more information on this lawsuit, see this month's article on Digestive Health, which starts on page 92.)