Preliminary Settlement Approval Granted in Quaker Oats Lawsuit

In re Quaker Oats Labeling Litig., 10cv0502 (N.D. Cal.): The court granted preliminary settlement approval of a Rule 23(b)(2) injunctive relief class in this case, which involves allegations that the inclusion of partially hydrogenated oils ("PHOs") in Quaker products violated state and federal labeling laws because of "wholesome" claims on some of the products' labels.  Products at issue include various flavors of Quaker Oats' Go Bars, Instant Quaker Oatmeal, and Quaker Chewy Bars.  Quaker denied any wrongdoing but agreed to remove PHOs from its products by the end of 2015 and will thereafter label any products containing trace amounts of PHOs as containing "dietarily insignificant amount of trans fat."  Order.