LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - The maker of Starburst candy is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it puts too much empty space in its packaging.
Bonnie Reyes filed a lawsuit Nov. 30 against Mars, Inc., accusing the company of deceptive packaging practices. The case, filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, alleges that Mars sells its popular candy line "Starbursts" in oversized packaging that is mostly filled with air.
Reyes argues that this misleads consumers into paying extra for empty space. The defendant removed the case to Los Angeles federal court on Jan. d.
The complaint refers to several state and federal court cases involving similar claims that have been found actionable and meritorious. It also includes pictures illustrating the allegedly deceptive nature of the packaging and the substantial non-functional slack fill inside the package.
Reyes claims she relied on the opaque packaging when making her purchase and was led to believe that the amount of product contained therein was commensurate with the size of the package. She asserts she would not have purchased the product or paid a premium price had she known about the misleading packaging.
Scott Ferrell of Pacific Trial Attorneys represents the plaintiff.