Natura reaches deal in class-action pet food lawsuit

A US$2,150,000 settlement was reached with Natura Pet Products Inc., Natura Pet Food Inc., Natura Manufacturing and Peter Atkins in a class-action lawsuit regarding advertising of Natura's petfood, according to a report. The lawsuit originated after claims that the company misrepresented its pet food quality as "human-grade."
The company admitted no fault, but reportedly agreed to the cost of the settlement in order to avoid a court trial. The settlement calls for the company to create a US$2,150,000 fund, from which it would pay attorneys fees, expenses up to US$60,000 to lawyers representing the Class and costs to Class members who submitted claim forms. The US District Court for the Northern District of California will hold a hearing in this case on February 17, 2012, to consider whether to approve the settlement deal.