People who purchased a popular protein bar are be able to receive some of the multi-million dollar payout its maker just settled.
Anyone who ate Clif Bars or Clif Kid ZBars between April 2014 and March 2023 can get up to $50 – depending on how many you purchased.
The company just settled for $12m in a settlement over claims the ingredients label was misleading.
The plaintiffs in the class action suit against the massive company claimed that the products were marketed as healthy despite their high added sugar content.
Clif Bar denies any wrongdoing, asserting that its products are not unhealthy due to added sugar and that the labeling on its Clif Bars and ZBars is accurate and not misleading.
The Settlement Class includes anyone who, during the specified time period, purchased one or more of its products.
People can file a claim on the class-action’s website by clicking ‘Submit a Claim.’ A household could make as much as $50. The deadline for filing is November 25.
The company is accused of marketing their products as healthy despite their high sugar content
The products included in the settlement include original Clif Bars with packaging or labels that say ‘Nutrition for Sustained Energy.’
They also include Clif Kid ZBars with packaging that features claims like ‘No High Fructose Corn Syrup,’ ‘Nourishing Kids in Motion,’ and ‘In raising our family, finding nutritious on-the-go snacks for our kids wasn’t easy. That’s why we created Clif Kid – wholesome, delicious snacks made with organic ingredients to help keep kids going, growing, and exploring.’
The first page of the claim asks for the customer’s name and contact information.
They will also have to provide details about their purchases.
Despite the bars being billed as healthy, the plaintiffs argued that nearly 40 percent of the calories in them came from added sugars.
Clif Bar and its parent company, Mondelez, have denied that its products are unhealthy or that its labels are misleading despite agreeing to the settlement.
Nutrition experts have long criticized Clif Bars for being unhealthier than they claim to be.
Elysse Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shames, or ‘The Nutrition Twins’, have previously told DailyMail.com that the bars are chockful of sugar that will spike your blood sugar and make you even hungrier in a short amount of time.
There is also scant evidence that protein bars do much in the way of quelling appetite for a long time, making it less likely to overeat.
A study found that people who ate a protein bar every day were more likely to gain weight within a week than those who didn’t. Researchers suggest that although protein bars can be nutritious, they may not be filling enough to stop people from eating more later.
The protein bar market is massive, valued at $7 billion, projected to grow to $8.26 billion by 2030.
They’re often used as a quick meal replacement on the go or as fuel for a rigorous workout.
Protein is a crucial macronutrient for maintaining bodily tissues, muscles, hormones, and numerous other functions. Thousands of foods claim to be high in protein, feeding into a growing cultural obsession with getting enough of it.
Many people are also concerned about not getting enough protein in their diets. Protein should account for 10 percent to 35 percent of calories.
For the typical American man, who weighs just under 200 pounds, the recommended amount is 72 grams. For the average woman, who weighs just under 171 pounds, it’s 61.5 grams.
According to survey data from the CDC, men consume about 31 percent more than the recommended amount, while women exceed it by about 12 percent.
Experts say that the only people who are protein deficient are usually malnourished or older adults with reduced appetites who struggle to eat enough calories.
Registered dietitian Abbey Sharp told Fortune: ‘If you’re meeting your caloric needs … you’re meeting your protein needs.’
