Two private California environmentalists and the Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation have joined forces to bring a lawsuit against manufacturers of several popular brands of fish oil. The Plaintiffs argue that the fish oil manufacturers are in violation of California’s Proposition 65, which requires that consumers be warned about chemical exposures.
The lawsuit, which was filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco, charges that eight fish oil supplement manufacturers or distributors – CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid, General Nutrition Corp., Solgar, Twinlab, Now Health, Omega Protein and Pharmavite –contain illegal levels of carcinogenic chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.
Testing undertaken by the plaintiffs showed that the brands in question contain PCB levels from 12 nanograms per dose to more than 850 nanograms. The lawsuit charges that the manufacturers are in violation of California law for not disclosing the non-zero levels of PCBs in the products.
The plaintiffs also believe that the manufacturers are misleading consumers by using terms like “Screened for PCBs” or “Treated to Remove PCBs” on their labeling in order to lead consumers to believe that all PCBs have been removed.
Callahan & Blaine recently filed a class action lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court against some of California’s largest distributors and retailers of so-called “extra virgin olive oil.” The suit charges that certain olive oil manufacturers, distributors and retailers have been labeling olive oil mixed with other edible oils as “extra virgin olive oil” in violation of California law.
The plaintiffs’ class for this case is represented by attorney Daniel J. Callahan, who is best known for a $934 million verdict that involved public health and safety issues in which Callahan represented medical product manufacturer Beckman Coulter.
If you believe you have been defrauded by misleading or untruthful product labeling, contact Callahan & Blaine right away.
