March 28, 2024 — A federal judge on Monday said ConAgra Brands must face a lawsuit claiming it misled U.S. consumers into believing that nine Mrs. Paul’s and Van de Kamp’s fish products were sustainably sourced.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall in Chicago rejected ConAgra’s argument that the phrase “Good for the Environment” on packaging was “puffery,” meaning an overstatement or exaggeration that could not support the proposed class action.
Consumers alleged that ConAgra sourced pollock in the Bering Sea from Russian fisheries that used huge nets – sometimes larger than two American football fields – to catch fish, and indiscriminately trapped and killed endangered fish species.
They said this rendered “meaningless” ConAgra’s claim on packaging that the nonprofit Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) had certified the fisheries as sustainable.