Lawsuits Against Honey Retailers for Mislabeling
The class action lawsuits brought against Publix Super Markets, Inc., Target Corporation, Walgreen Co. and Aldi Inc., are likely to expand, with more consumers joining these lawsuits and bringing others relating to retailers' false and deceptive labeling of their "honey" products.
Two Florida consumers sued Publix in Florida state court over Publix's private-label "Orange Blossom Honey" and "Pure Clover Honey." Three other Florida consumers filed separate federal-court actions against Target, which makes "Market Pantry" and "Archer Farms" honeys; Walgreens, which makes Walgreens-brand and "Nice" honey; and Aldi, which sells its "Berryhill Clover Honey" throughout Florida.
The lawsuits allege that Publix, Target, Walgreens and Aldi remove all traces of naturally occurring pollen from their honey products, violating Florida's "honey standard of identity," which requires that no pollen be removed "except where unavoidable in the removal of foreign matter," such as bug parts, wax and debris. The lawsuits allege that the retailers filter their branded honeys so extensively that all of the pollen is removed unnecessarily.
Attorneys J. Andrew Meyer of Morgan & Morgan P.A.'s National Class Action Department in Tampa and Jason Kellogg of Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman LLP in Miami filed the suits on behalf of the plaintiffs. Meyer and Kellogg estimate that there may be thousands if not tens of thousands of potential customers who purchased honey without pollen from Publix, Target, Walgreens, Aldi and other retailers in the past four years, and intend to file additional lawsuits against other retailers who sell honey without pollen.
The lawsuits allege that pollen contains numerous health benefits and is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals and is used to trace the plant origin of honey. Without pollen, the product's source—whether it be "orange blossom," "clover" or otherwise—cannot be verified. Additionally, pollen is necessary to trace the geographic origin of honey. The plaintiffs' lawsuits refer to recent news reports regarding the large-scale smuggling of Chinese honey into the United States market, noting that unscrupulous Chinese honey manufacturers frequently use an ultra-filtration process to disguise the origin of their honey. In some instances, the honey was contaminated with chemicals such as metals and antibiotics.
If you are a consumer who purchased honey from Publix, Target, Walgreens or Aldi, or who purchased any other type or brand of honey from your local retailer and would like to discuss your legal rights, you can contact J. Andrew Meyer toll-free at 800.825.5505 or Jason Kellogg at 305.403.8788, or send an email to AMeyer@ForThePeople.com or jk@lklsg.com. The lawyers also encourage anyone with information regarding the subject matter contained on this webpage to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees and others.
Attorney Advertising. The law firms responsible for this advertisement are Morgan & Morgan, P.A. (www.ForThePeople.com) and Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman LLP (www.lklsg.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential matter.