Lawsuit against ConAgra for misleading Spray Butter

BrianSharpe

Anyone can file a lawsuit, winning it is another matter altogether. It boggles the mind that US courts would permit the inclusion of hearsay (ie internet complaints) in a statement of claim.

Filing a claim and having a court look at the case are 2 different things. I think you're getting ahead of yourself

Anyone can file a claim for anything they want, it does not mean it will go to court

Too true.....

wolfchild59

I'm on the fence with this one.

While I agree that this woman needs a good dash of common sense to realize that it's a bottle of oil in her hands and the case should be thrown out, I hope it sparks a change in the FDA rules about package labeling.

Being able to label anything that has less than five calories per serving is absolutely ridiculous. It's why a packet/serving of Splenda says that it's zero calories but a cup of Splenda is around 190 calories. Because each serving of Splenda is 4 calories, so people bake with it thinking that they are using no calories when they aren't.

It also encourages stupid serving sizes so that companies can call their product zero calories. Like 3/4 of a pickle spear or 1/10 of a second spray, I've even seen things that were fractions of regular measurements, like 2/3 of a teaspoon.

So while I think the woman is an idiot, I also think that the FDA label guidelines in regards to zero calories products is a joke and needs to be revised. And if something like this can maybe light some fires to make that happen, then I'd get behind that.

wftiger

Lawsuites don't fix stupid. Why people can't use common sense is beyond me. Yes, taking the top of and pouring on the spray butter is unhealthy and incredibly stupid to boot.

These companies should not be sued for this. People need to take some responsibility for being gluttons.

CarmenSRT

I can understand where the folks who think they ought not have to do research on their food are coming from. You buy the food and want to be able to count on the label's accuracy. I'm not a particularly trusting soul though. When I see a product like the Walden Farms plastered with "Calorie Free!" on pretty much everything I KNOW that isn't true. Would I like to believe it and use the stuff with wild abandon? Of course! It's just not wise. :grumble:

Lizajane42

I think the bottles used to have a larger serving listed with actual calories- it was something like 20 sprays for 10 calories... I know that is irrelevant to this topic except to point out that they may have previously been more forthcoming.

I do use the 1-5 sprays typically and a bottle lasts forever! Nonetheless, there are still then 800+ calories hanging out unaccounted for in my world over the course of a few months if I never record my "0" calories!

kcpsu18

Lawsuites don't fix stupid. Why people can't use common sense is beyond me. Yes, taking the top of and pouring on the spray butter is unhealthy and incredibly stupid to boot.

These companies should not be sued for this. People need to take some responsibility for being gluttons.

Well said

AlabasterVerve

So if people don't think it's a can full of oil/fat, what do they *think* is in the can?

They don't know, but they're still okay with consuming copious amounts of the stuff?

Why wouldn't they be? Calories in, calories out that's all that matters...

Yeah, I guess that's where I'm different from most people in that I don't think CICO is "all that matters".

I don't either but if you're told the key to losing weight is eat less, move more, that these sprays are a good alternative to the artery clogging saturated fat and then you read the label and it states zero calories I don't think it's really a lack of judgment on the part of these people who eat this crap but a lack of correct information.

It's not right in any way, shape or form that you can take 800 calories of fat and label it zero calories, zero fat. It absolutely boggles the mind that people would get upset over this women's lack of portion control or her choice to eat crap in the first place instead of the fact that our labeling laws in the US are a joke. Why have them at all if they don't have to be accurate?

AlabasterVerve

I'm on the fence with this one.

While I agree that this woman needs a good dash of common sense to realize that it's a bottle of oil in her hands and the case should be thrown out, I hope it sparks a change in the FDA rules about package labeling.

Being able to label anything that has less than five calories per serving is absolutely ridiculous. It's why a packet/serving of Splenda says that it's zero calories but a cup of Splenda is around 190 calories. Because each serving of Splenda is 4 calories, so people bake with it thinking that they are using no calories when they aren't.

It also encourages stupid serving sizes so that companies can call their product zero calories. Like 3/4 of a pickle spear or 1/10 of a second spray, I've even seen things that were fractions of regular measurements, like 2/3 of a teaspoon.

So while I think the woman is an idiot, I also think that the FDA label guidelines in regards to zero calories products is a joke and needs to be revised. And if something like this can maybe light some fires to make that happen, then I'd get behind that.

Well said.

farmers_daughter

Ok, so I've read through 3/4ths of the replies here...

Looked at the label like 3 or 4 times. And where in Gods name does it say that the entire can has 800 some calories in it?

I saw *Calories per spray but I didn't see a number. Did I miss it?


I know there has to be some, but where does it say how much....the company says it has the 800 some calories....where?

AlabasterVerve

Ok, so I've read through 3/4ths of the replies here...

Looked at the label like 3 or 4 times. And where in Gods name does it say that the entire can has 800 some calories in it?

I saw *Calories per spray but I didn't see a number. Did I miss it?


I know there has to be some, but where does it say how much....the company says it has the 800 some calories....where?

No where on the label, no where on their website. You're just supposed to know that zero calories doesn't mean zero calories and use some common sense. And I don't know, send your spray butter out to a lab to be tested, I guess.

TLCEsq

Ok, so I've read through 3/4ths of the replies here...

Looked at the label like 3 or 4 times. And where in Gods name does it say that the entire can has 800 some calories in it?

I saw *Calories per spray but I didn't see a number. Did I miss it?


I know there has to be some, but where does it say how much....the company says it has the 800 some calories....where?

I found the info on some blog, don't know the exact original source though: http://higherbar.wordpress.com/2007/01/07/a-healthier-you-2007-spray-butters-and-food-labels/

danielleisms

This is a bit ridiculous. It's common sense that if you pour it on your food it's no longer 0 calories. However, I do agree the label should give more details such as the nutrition facts in 1 tablespoon.

Aedrah

This topic is interesting. I wonder if this is why these types of products seem to have been pulled in Canada. About 5 years ago I recall a Becel spray product available. It was discontinued in 2010 (in Canada). About a year ago I found a I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray product (0 calories for 5 sprays), but now it also doesn't seem to be available.

I always knew it wasn't calorie free, and reserved it to 5 sprays per serving and not using it too often. I actually found it helpful, especially to replace the butter on toast.

But I agree, it should be labelled correctly - and isn't in Canada either. Too bad, because it could be a good replacement, if labeled and used correctly.

AbbsyBabbsy

This is a bit ridiculous. It's common sense that if you pour it on your food it's no longer 0 calories. However, I do agree the label should give more details such as the nutrition facts in 1 tablespoon.

I'm not sure it is common sense. If something is labeled as 10 calories a teaspoon, I would expect 2 teaspoons to equal 20 calories. Likewise, if one spray is zero calories, I would expect the second and third and fourth sprays to also be zero calories, because that's what the label says.

glacier81

UMM I don't want to be rude but who unscrews the lid and pours it in their food? It is "SPRAY BUTTER" You are suppose to use a few sprays, not two containers a week!! I can see that maybe they need to put on there the calories for the whole bottle. But come on people!!

They definitely should have to put the nutrition for the whole bottle as it is somewhat misleading, but I agree with this ^^

chunkydunk714

Thing is, people need to start taking at least a BIT of responsibility over what goes in their mouths, and not claim to be so naive.

Doctors and dieticians tell people to eat that stuff, the FDA says they're safe and then they see the label and it reads zero calories. How is that naive?

I agree with both posters here......the label DOES say five or ten sprays (cant recall) NOT the entire bottle

on the other hand...if you're not too familiar with common sense then yes, I can see to where this can be a problem. And I dont mean that in a rude way either. Some people literally have no common sense.

UnderCoverShyGirl

I pretty much think it's ridiculous, but i also see where a person can "spray" for 5 minutes, and that would not be 0 calories, so at least they probably need a "1 second spray" disclaimer LOL. WHy are people so sue happy though. Yes, i want labeling to be more accurate, but frankly, we are trusting someone else to do the calculation in a lab, etc...still need our own common sense...just like chain restaurant food...i'm sorry, but i'm not an idiot, and that cobb salad at bjs that i just ate was not only 600 cals!! LOL Maybe in the lab it was, but you can't tell me that workers dupe that exactly every time! Or even any of the time!

rai8759

she took the top off and poured it on her veggies??!!! She is an idiot.

ScottFree_66

This is a bit ridiculous. It's common sense that if you pour it on your food it's no longer 0 calories. However, I do agree the label should give more details such as the nutrition facts in 1 tablespoon.

Common sense? the label says zero calories. 1 spray = 0 so therefore 10 sprays = 0. Basic math!!!
The only link given in this whole thread stating there are calories in this product is from a "blog".
I have never used the stuff, but if I did, I would be recording it in my diary as zero calories (no matter how much I used).

I can easily imagine someone wanting buttery popcorn while watching a movie and just spraying tons of this stuff on the popcorn thinking it was zero calories. why? because the F'ing label says so!!!

glacier81

I can easily imagine someone wanting buttery popcorn while watching a movie and just spraying tons of this stuff on the popcorn thinking it was zero calories. why? because the F'ing label says so!!!

Mmmm...buttery 0 CALORIE popcorn!! Damn it's really 832 calories! Crap! I knew it was too good to be true

I thought about doing this exact thing, but then I thought again and remembered how much false advertising there is in this world and how many loop holes there are, and how much things in the media get twisted. It has a spray top for a reason.