I've written about so many class-action lawsuits and their various settlements with Illinois residents over the years, but this is a first for me.

This is the first time that we actually have a product at home that's the subject of a lawsuit. Many times that I've written about product recalls and lawsuit settlements, I've come to realize that it really didn't affect my family or me because we don't buy/didn't have the product or products in question.

Also, this is one of the few lawsuit settlement stories I've seen that didn't have anything to do with the food actually being contaminated. The problem is that the product in question, according to the class-action lawsuit, wasn't honest about a primary ingredient.

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The Class-Action Lawsuit Involves Only One Brand Of Ice Cream, And Only One Flavor Of It: Breyers Natural Vanilla

Like I pointed out earlier, this has nothing to do with the usual contaminates that we're used to hearing about. There's no listeria, salmonella, arsenic, plastic wrap, metal pieces, or anything of that sort. Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream is perfectly fine for consumption by everyone from toddlers to the very elderly.

The problem centers on Breyers calling the ice cream "Natural Vanilla."

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It Seems That People Get Angry When They're Told Something Is "Natural," But It Turns Out That It's Not

From the class-action lawsuit's settlement page:

  • By prominently displaying the words “Natural Vanilla” and images of
    vanilla flowers, cured vanilla beans, and a scoop of ice cream with visible dark
    specks that appear to be flecks of vanilla bean (collectively, the “Representations”), Defendants falsely and misleadingly market Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream to consumers as containing vanilla flavor derived only from the vanilla plant and not from non-vanilla plant sources.
  • Unfortunately for consumers, this is untrue. Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream contains non-vanilla plant vanilla flavors and vanilla enhancers that are not disclosed on the Product packaging or label.

Why is that such a big deal?

The lawsuit goes on to point out that Breyers charges a premium for their Natural Vanilla ice cream, and that consumers would not have paid extra had they known that non-vanilla plant flavors and vanilla enhancers were used in the Breyers product.

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Three scoops of vanilla ice cream in a glass bowl
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Here's What You Need To Know If You'd Like To Take Part In The Settlement Payments

Even if you bought some of this particular ice cream back in 2016, you're still eligible. The lawsuit settlement covers anyone who purchased Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream in any size in the U.S. from April 21, 2016 through Aug. 14, 2024. You can find a complete list of the products here.

According to the settlement website, cash payments will be awarded to class members who submit the following by Feb. 19, 2025:

  • Valid claims with proof of purchase ($1 per product with no limit).

  • Valid claims without proof of purchase ($1 per product with a maximum of eight products).

  • Valid claims for products with both proof of purchase and without proof of purchase (combined cash payment benefits).

According to the settlement, only one claim form can be submitted per household.

LOOK: The 21 most popular ice cream flavors in America

Stacker analyzed YouGov data and found the most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S. Read on to find America's favorite flavors.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

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