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THE COMPANY BEHIND Kerrygold is facing a class-action lawsuit in the US over a claim that the milk used for its butter is “falsely” advertised as coming from grass-fed cows.
Dyami Myers-Taylor submitted the claim in the district court of southern California and accused Ornua of “false, deceptive and/or misleading” advertising.
In his complaint to the court, Myers-Taylor, who is a Californian citizen residing in San Diego, said that he believes that the packaging and advertisements that market Kerrygold butter as being made from the milk of grass-fed cows include “deceptive claims”.
He alleges that the products are derived from cows that feed not just on grass but also on “soy, corn and other grains, among other non-grass feed, including grains that are genetically modified, and are thus not ‘grass-fed’ as advertised”.
Myers-Taylor – who is suing both Illinois-headquartered Ornua Foods North America and Dublin-based Ornua Co-operative Limited – bought several Kerrygold products from 2014 to 2018, including salted and unsalted butter, garlic and herb butter and Irish butter with canola oil.
He claims that he wouldn’t have bought the products – or paid a “premium price” for them – if he knew they weren’t solely fed on grass.
In the 30-page complaint, submitted by attorneys Reuben D Nathan and Ross Cornell, Myers-Taylor said that grass-fed butter “is one of the healthiest fats on the planet” and outlined the various health benefits of it.
He said Kerrygold is aware of this and, accordingly, prominently featured the phrase “grass-fed” in its marketing materials.
An Ornua spokesperson told Fora: “We believe our products are marketed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and will vigorously defend claims which propose otherwise.”
Ornua, which makes Kerrygold and was formerly known as the Irish Dairy Board, recorded a pre-tax profit of €29.1 million last year, an 84% increase on 2016′s figure, after turnover rose by €320 million to pass the €2 billion mark.
The manufacturer, which exports to 110 countries worldwide, had a record year last year in Germany and the US after registering double-digit growth in exports into these markets.
As well as producing Kerrygold butter, Ornua’s portfolio includes the Dubliner and Pilgrims Choice cheese brands and Beo Milk Powder.
Note: This article was updated to include comment from Ornua.
Written by Conor McMahon and posted on Fora.ie
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Individuals “ Christmas Tree Hunting” in the Dublin mountains and elsewhere is also illegal and NOT “a Tradition” as is construed conveniently.
@Peter Daly: But the Waltons always did it! :-)
@Colette Kearns: goodnight Colette.
@Peter Daly: tell that to chevy chase
@Shelly Levine: night shelley.
@Peter Daly: Those trees are pure pollution and need to come down. I know it doesn’t suit your leafy green ideas but it ‘s just a fact. They destroy soil with acid and make no difference at all to the carbon foot print. I’ve planted around 1000 natives in the last 5 years. Pendula pendula (silver birch) beech and alder. Ive been looking for support but Coillte has come up with no plan whatsoever. I know ye all want to be environmentalists but it would be a big help if any of ye had a clue what yer talking about.
@Hugh Morris: Clark griswold hugh try keep up.
@Hugh Morris: Hugh ive 3 kids iam hopefully going to “try set up for later life “your comment is quite frankly disgusting. But not surprising.
@Vonvonic: You obviously didn’t bother reading the article before jumping to conclusions. “the removal of three hectares of woodland…a large area of mature, broadleaf woodland…the species felled included ash, sycamore, holly and alder. The majority of trees, the inspector found, “would appear to be 10-50 years old with occasional specimens being up to 100 years old”.
“In another case from 2020, the Forest Service investigated the removal of over 110 trees – mainly willow –“
“Earlier this year, Noteworthy investigated the removal of hedgerows to make way for agricultural expansion, finding that almost 1,000 offences related to hedgerow removal on farms were identified by DAFM between 2011 and 2019.”
@EillieEs: The sycamore is one of the most eco destructive trees going (not native). But how could you possibly know that? You couldn’t, because you don’t.
@Vonvonic: so you’ve chosen to ignore the alder, willow, ash, the hedgerow?
@EillieEs: Largely unimportant in comparison to the potential we have to plant trees. If they’re in the way cut them down; otherwise noone will ever plant trees. I know that sounds counter-intuitive bit our problem is not cutting trees down; its the the lack of plan and incentive to plant them. The complaint in this article is a smoke screen.
Good to see someone twigged this…
@William Tallon: lol happy new year William. All is forgiven.
@Vonvonic: I’ve turned over a new leaf…
Be more in their line to issue the tree felling licences in the first place – as is their job!!
I encountered guys with a track digger, tractor and dump trailer sawing up a mature oak tree last Monday morning. Beautiful mature oak easily a couple of hundred years old. Disgrace to see getting cut up, even if houses were getting built it could have easily been incorporated into the landscaping after.
Special branch should be able to get to the root of the problem.
Could care less about spruce being felled it is after all just a cash crop like barley or potatoes. The lack of felling licences are having a major knock on effect on timber supply in this country, similarly some amount of hardwoods need felling so as carpenters like me have access to beautiful native hardwood. Not clear felling whole swathes of old growth forest mind!
have your say