William Sorrell (D)
MONTPELIER, Vt. (Legal Newsline) -- Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell's office has announced a settlement with an in-state pasta sauce company that was charged with mislabeling food products.
Bove's of Vermont, Inc. allegedly claimed its pasta sauces and other food items were Vermont products when in fact they were made outside Vermont from out-of-state ingredients.
According to the settlement, the company will donate $50,000 worth of food to the Vermont Foodbank and pay a civil penalty of $5,000.
The company's sauces were originally made in Vermont but were made in Rochester, N.Y., beginning in 1999 or 2000, according to the Democratic attorney general.
Also, the only ingredient in Bove's products that were made in Vermont was one type of cheese. The tomatoes were sourced from California, while the other ingredients were from regions unknown to the company.
Vermont's Consumer Fraud Rule prohibits companies from using the word "Vermont" to market a food product unless the food is made in Vermont. If it's not, it must be clearly labeled and disclose the out-of-state connection.