In 2016, two of Post Foods’ customers filed the lawsuit in the California federal court alleging that Post had mislead the American public with statements on the labels of its cereals suggesting they were nutrient-dense, healthy foods.
Plaintiffs Debbie Krommenhock and Stephen Hadley filed the false advertising class action lawsuit, alleging the cereals actually contained a high sugar content.
The defendant denied all allegations of wrongdoing and maintained its stance that the claims on its packaging were true. The court also did not arrive at a definitive decision that either party was correct, however, Post agreed to a $15m class action settlement. The cereal producer also agreed to remove certain statements from the labels of its products.
Proof of purchase
Thanks to the settlement, Post cereal customers may be eligible to claim.
To apply, class members must provide a valid proof of purchase of a Post-branded cereal in the US between 29 August 2012 and 2 November 2020 – for household use only and not for resale or distribution.
The cereals include various sizes and varieties of Honey Bunches of Oats, Great Grains, Raisin Bran, Bran Flakes, Honey Bunches of Oats Granola, Selects, Honeycomb, Shredded Wheat, Alpha-Bits, Waffle Crisp and Golden Crisp.
Class members who submit claims without proof of purchase will be subject to per-product caps based on an average use of four boxes per month.
Settlements are expected to be around $14 each, however, the actual amount will depend on the number of claims made and each claimant’s purchase history.
The deadline for submitting a claim is 19 May 2021 and can be made here.
The Post Cereal Sugar Content Class Action Lawsuit is Debbie Krommenhock, et al. v. Post Foods LLC, Case No. 16-CV-04958-WHO in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
