ConAgra Wesson Cooking Oil

June 2021: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the approval of the settlement and remanded the case for further proceedings.

April 2020: Thirteen Attorneys General filed an amici curiae brief objecting to the settlement agreement.

November 2019: An objector filed a Notice of Appeal regarding the decision to approve the settlement.

October 2019: A federal judge granted final approval of the settlement agreement.

April 2019: A federal judge granted preliminary approval of a proposed settlement agreement. According to the settlement terms, class members with proof of purchase may receive a $0.15 cash award for each product purchased while class members without proof of purchase may receive a $0.15 cash award for a maximum of 30 products. The agreement allocates an additional $575,000 to compensate class members in New York and Oregon for statutory damages under the consumer protection laws in those states. The company also agreed not to market Wesson Oils as “natural” unless federal legislation or regulations change to allow “natural” claims on products containing oil from genetically-engineered seed stock and not to market the oils as “non-GMO” unless an independent third-party certifies the claim. A final fairness hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2019. For more information, go to http://www.wessonoilsettlement.com/.

October 2017: The Supreme Court denied the petition.

April 2017: ConAgra Foods filed a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.

January 2017: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s decision to certify the class for monetary relief.

February 2015: The court denied class certification to the injunctive relief classes (i.e., the classes seeking changes to marketing) because the named plaintiffs did not show that they have standing (i.e., a proper basis) to represent such classes, but certified various classes seeking monetary relief. To read the full decision and learn more about the certified classes, click here.

September 2014: Plaintiffs’ filed a renewed motion for class certification.

August 2014: : A federal judge denied the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification When a complaint is dismissed without prejudice, an amended version of the complaint can be refiled..

2011: A false advertising class-action lawsuit was filed against ConAgra Foods, Inc. for allegedly misleadingly labeling its Wesson brand cooking oils – including Wesson Vegetable Oil, Wesson Canola Oil, Wesson Corn Oil, and Wesson Best Blend – as “100% Natural” when, according to the plaintiffs, the oils are made from unnatural, genetically-modified organisms. (In re: ConAgra Foods, Inc., Case No. 11-cv-05379, C.D. Cal.).

For more information about other class action lawsuits filed against ConAgra and TINA.org’s coverage of the company, click here.