New York, NY: Campbell' and The American Heart Association (AHA), are facing a consumer fraud class action lawsuit challenging the validity of the heart-healthy claims displayed on some Campbell' soups.
The lawsuit centers on the AHA' "Heart-Check" certification and whether it rightfully conveys that certain types of Campbell' soups have particular health benefits. The lawsuit alleges that the AHA allows Campbell' and other companies, to use its "Heart-Check" label on products that run counter to its stated mission, to fight heart disease and stroke, in exchange for fees.
According to the AHA' website, a product displaying the "Heart Check"certification must contain no more than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving. However, the website also states the definition of low sodium is 140 milligrams or less per serving.
According to the complaint, one can of Campbell's "Healthy Request" condensed Chicken Noodle Soup, displaying the AHA' "Heart Check"certification, is listed as having 410 milligrams of sodium per half-cup serving. However, there are two or more servings per can, meaning there would be at least 820 milligrams of sodium in a can, the plaintiffs allege.
"The AHA, for a fee, abandons its general, non-commercial dietary and nutritional guidelines," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit states that the AHA's "Heart Check' mark is misleading in that people who see the mark think that the products displaying it, in this case Campbell' soups, "possess some cardiovascular benefit not enjoyed by products that have not been certified by the AHA." The only difference is that Campbell pays money for the certification, according to the suit.
The lawsuit was filed August13, in US District Court, District of New Jersey.
