U.S. customers who have bought Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream over the past eight years may be eligible for cash payment in a nearly $9 million settlement against the ice cream company, reports USA Today. According to the court’s news release, the lawsuit alleges the ice cream was labeled “vanilla” as if its flavor came only from the vanilla plant when in reality, the product’s flavor contained non-vanilla plant flavors.

The lawsuit applies to customers in the U.S. who bought the ice cream between April 21, 2016 and August 14, 2024, according to the news release from the Supreme Court of the State of New York in the Bronx.

According to the lawsuit: “By prominently displaying the words “Natural Vanilla” and images of vanilla flowers, cured vanilla beans, and a scoop of ice cream with visible dark specks that appear to be flecks of vanilla bean (collectively, the “Representations”), Defendants falsely and misleadingly market Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream to consumers as containing vanilla flavor derived only from the vanilla plant and not from non-vanilla plant sources.”

An $8.85 million settlement has been reached in the class action lawsuit, which was filed against both Unilever United States, Inc., which owns Breyers, and Conopco, Inc., the New York-based advertiser Breyers works with, according to the lawsuit.

“The Defendants dispute all of these allegations and deny any wrongdoing,” the news release read. “The Court has not decided who is right.”

Still, Conopco, Inc. and Unilever United States, Inc. agreed to create a settlement fund of $8,850,000.

More here.