Tomas_Mina/iStock Editorial/ThinkStock(NEW YORK) – The first battle in the ongoing war of the yogurts goes to Dannon.
A judge in Utica, NY ruled Friday that Chobani must stop an ad campaign that claims Dannon Light & Fit Simply 100 Greek yogurt is unhealthy because it contains chlorine (as added to sucralose).
The ruling said, “Chobani is free to continue to spread its message about the value of selecting natural ingredients. It is not, however, free to disseminate the false message that sucralose renders Dannon’s products unsafe to consume.”
At issue was a new Chobani commercial that focused on a cup of Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt picked up by a woman. As she scrutinizes the product’s ingredients label, a voiceover proclaims: “Dannon Light & Fit Greek actually uses artificial sweeteners like sucralose. Sucralose? Why? That stuff has chlorine added to it!”
Chobani said in a statement it would respect the court’s ruling but “continue its mission o call on food makers to use only natural ingredients.”
“This is not a marketing campaign, it’s a mindset campaign, and it outlines the difference between using only natural ingredients versus artificial ingredients,” said Peter McGuinness, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, Chobani. “While we’re disappointed by the preliminary ruling, we’re committed to continuing the conversation and it’s good to see big food companies like General Mills starting to remove artificial ingredients from some of their products, like their cereals.”
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