Collishaw v. Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 11, 2022
Docket7:20-cv-09009
StatusUnknown

This text of Collishaw v. Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (Collishaw v. Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Collishaw v. Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, (S.D.N.Y. 2022).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK JENNIFER COLLISHAW, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, MEMORANDUM OPINION Plaintiff, AND ORDER -against- 20-CV-09009 (PMH) COOPERATIVE REGIONS OF ORGANIC PRODUCER POOLS, Defendant.

LAURI McCAULEY, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiff, 21-CV-01548 (PMH) -against- COOPERATIVE REGIONS OF ORGANIC PRODUCER POOLS, Defendant. PHILIP M. HALPERN, United States District Judge: Jennifer Collishaw (“Collishaw”) and Lauri McCauley (“McCauley,” and together, “Plaintiffs”) separately bring actions against Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (“Defendant”) in Case No. 20-CV-09009 (the “Collishaw Action”) and Case No. 21-CV-01548 (the “McCauley Action”).1 Plaintiffs bring the same five claims for relief in each action: (i) violation of N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law (“NYGBL”) §§ 349, 350; (ii) breaches of express warranty, the implied warranty of merchantability, and the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2301 et

1 Defendant having sought leave to move to dismiss each action, Plaintiffs having been represented by the same counsel, and “[d]ue to common issues of law and facts, and to avoid unnecessary cost and delay,” the Court consolidated the actions for motion to dismiss purposes under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42(a)(3). (Collishaw Action, June 17, 2021 Min. Entry; McCauley Action, June 17, 2021 Min. Entry). seq.; (iii) negligent misrepresentation; (iv) fraud; and (v) unjust enrichment. (Collishaw Action, Doc. 21, “Collishaw FAC” ¶¶ 115-137; McCauley Action, Doc. 15, “McCauley FAC” ¶¶ 90-110). Plaintiffs, likewise, seek in each action monetary damages, costs and expenses (including attorney’s fees), and certification of putative classes.2 (Collishaw FAC at 20; McCauley FAC at

19). Defendant moved on September 9, 2021, in accordance with the briefing schedule set by the Court, to dismiss both actions. (Collishaw Action, Doc. 31; McCauley Action, Doc. 25). Defendant filed a consolidated memorandum of law and a consolidated declaration in support of its motion (Collishaw Action, Doc. 32 & McCauley Action, Doc. 26, “Def. Br.”; Collishaw Action Doc. 33 & McCauley Action, Doc. 27), Plaintiffs filed a consolidated memorandum of law in opposition (Collishaw Action, Doc. 38 & McCauley Action, Doc. 32, “Opp. Br.”), and the motion was fully submitted on October 7, 2021, upon the filing of Defendant’s consolidated reply brief in further support of its motion (Collishaw Action, Doc.37 & McCauley Action, Doc. 32, “Reply”). For the reasons set forth below, Defendant’s motion is GRANTED.

BACKGROUND Defendant, a leading organic dairy producer, markets, distributes, and sells a variety of organic dairy products. (Collishaw FAC ¶ 16). Defendant’s products at issue herein include protein shakes and coffee creamers, each of which it markets under the brand name “Organic Valley.” (Id. ¶ 1). Collishaw’s FAC alleges claims based on the Organic Valley “Fuel” protein shake (“Shake”) and McCauley’s FAC alleges claims based on the Organic Valley “French Vanilla” coffee creamer (“Creamer,” and with the Shake, “Products”). (See generally Collishaw FAC; McCauley FAC).

2 McCauley’s putative class consists of purchasers in New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maryland. (McCauley FAC ¶ 81). Collishaw’s putative class consists of only New York purchasers. (Collishaw FAC ¶ 106). Both Plaintiffs initially sought injunctive relief but later withdrew those claims. (Collishaw Action, Doc. 28; McCauley Action, Doc. 22). I. The Shake The Shake is a vanilla-flavored product, which is marketed as a “High Protein Milk Shake.” The Shake is sold to consumers in 11-fluid ounce containers and the front label displays the words “Organic Valley,” “FUEL,” “20g Protein per Serving,” “50% Less Sugar Than Before,” “High Protein Milk Shake,” “No Artificial Growth Hormones,” “Vanilla,” and “USDA Organic,” alongside an image of what appears to be a vanilla flower and beans. (/d. § 26). Pictures included in the Collishaw FAC of the Shake’s front and side labels are reproduced immediately below:

Cag a a / sh eT Lash perth a Pile tt ip td ee ge Th in ara Dr iat a a sy | | □□□ is ni coe 4 ee 20.) =

ae VISIT US A 11FLOZ(330mL}) ee

The Shake’s label, according to Collishaw, is allegedly marketed as “being flavored with, and by vanilla, from extracts of vanilla beans, shown through the statement, ‘Vanilla’ and picture of two vanilla beans and a large vanilla flower.” Ud. J 26). Collishaw alleges that because of these representations, “coupled with a general awareness that a label will disclose artificial vanilla, consumers have no reason to doubt the [Shake] contains a non-negligible amount of extracts from vanilla beans.” (Ud. § 29). The Shake’s ingredient list identifies “Organic Filtered Grade A Skim

Milk,” “Organic Grade A Cream,” “Organic Fair Trade Vanilla Flavor,” “Organic Flavor,” “Salt,” “Lactase Enzyme,” “Gellan Gum,” “Organic Stevia,” and “Vitamin D3.” (/d.). Collishaw alleges that, “[s]ince the [Shake] contains high-quality dairy ingredients such as ‘Grade A’ milk and cream, consumers will expect a non-negligible amount of extract from the vanilla bean,” and the Shake “has a de minimis amount of the ingredient picture on the front of the label—extracts from vanilla beans—but has a high level of synthetic flavoring.” Ud. 9] 33, 75 (italics added)). Il. The Creamer The Creamer is another vanilla-flavored product, which is marketed as “French Vanilla Half & Half? coffee creamer. The front label of the Creamer displays the words “French Vanilla,” “Organic Valley,” “Half & Half,” “Ultra Pasteurized + Grade A,” “made with pasture-raised Organic Cream,” “USDA Organic,” and “Organic is always non GMO,” and contains, inter alia, an image of what appears to be a vanilla flower and beans. (McCauley FAC § 25). A picture included in the McCauley FAC of the Creamer’s front label is reproduced immediately below:

\Sench Vail HALE & HAL! | sah pst Organic €>’

(Id. ¶ 24). The Creamer’s label, according to McCauley, is misleading because “representations [on the label]—and a general expectation that a food or beverage will truthfully disclose whether it is ‘Artificially Flavored’—assures consumers that the French Vanilla Creamer has a non- negligible amount of extracts from vanilla beans.” (Id. ¶ 29). McCauley alleges that consumers are

misled “because the front label fails to disclose the [Creamer’s] taste is closer to (artificial) coconut than vanilla or at best, equally like coconut.” (Id. ¶ 32). The Creamer’s ingredient list identifies “Organic Grade A Milk and Cream,” “Organic Fair Trade Unrefined Cane Sugar,” “Organic Fair Trade Vanilla Flavor,” and “Organic Coconut Flavor.” (Id. ¶ 31). McCauley alleges that the ingredient list “is required to state, ‘Artificial Flavor’ instead of ‘Organic Coconut Flavor.” (Id. ¶ 57). III. Plaintiffs’ Purchases Collishaw purchased the Shake “on one or more occasions” at locations including a Walmart in Monroe, New York. (Collishaw FAC ¶ 101). McCauley purchased the Creamer “on at least one occasion” at a Stop & Shop in Peekskill, New York. (McCauley FAC ¶ 75). Plaintiffs

allege that the Products are sold at a “premium price” because of the false and misleading representations. (Id. ¶ 65; Collishaw FAC ¶ 90). Plaintiffs allege also that other, similar products “truthfully tell consumers their vanilla taste is not from extracts from [real] but artificial vanilla, because they say, ‘Artificially Flavored.’” (Collishaw FAC ¶ 25; McCauley FAC ¶ 23).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Collishaw v. Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/collishaw-v-cooperative-regions-of-organic-producer-pools-nysd-2022.