Anonymous
Cheese pizza stock photo
Source: District Attorney of Santa Barbara
Bristol Farms Settles Consumer Protection Action – Owner of Lazy Acres Market in Santa Barbara Resolves Allegations of False Advertising
District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced today that her Consumer Protection Unit has obtained a $5,000 stipulated final judgment against Bristol Farms, dba Lazy Acres Market. The settlement resolves allegations that Bristol Farms misrepresented the ingredients in the “Cheese Pizza Whole” product prepared and sold at Lazy Acres Market, in violation of the False Advertising Law. The civil complaint alleges that Bristol Farms listed the ingredients as flour, water, olive oil, sugar, yeast, and salt, yet failed to include several other ingredients including soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup.
Under the terms of the judgment, Bristol Farms must comply with a permanent injunction that requires it to comply with the False Advertising Law and pay a civil penalty of $5,000 to the County of Santa Barbara.
District Attorney Dudley said, “The law entitles consumers to accurate labeling on the foods they consider for purchasing. This is particularly important for ingredients that many consumers consciously avoid, such as soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup. We are grateful that Bristol Farms agreed to cooperate and resolve this case promptly.”
Can someone please explain to me why the $5,000 goes to County and nothing goes to the Consumers who bought the pizzas?
another comment to the people saying this is not important – I have a cousin who is allergic to corn, including corn flour, corn syrup, corn oil. So, this is potentially life threatening
my guess is that it is because the county filed the suit and it partially covers their costs. It was not a class action law suit.
How they going to refund, say, 25¢, to everybody who bought one of these pies? Do you save all your receipts from EVERY grocery trip? This isn’t Costco where they have a computerized record of all your purchases due to the membership card being scanned at the POS.
Terrible for LA to once again screw over their customers. People should not be eating all that cheese all the time to begin with. Cheese is basically salted fat that does no one any good. We make pizza all the time that everyone likes without all that salted fatty cheese. Possibly rethinking our priorities would be best for the American diet before it is too late.
Thank you for your answer. Makes sense now but I still believe a consumer brought it to their attention.
Dude! I was about to make a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup and you just killed my vibe.
GRAS. “Generally Recognized as Safe.” GRAS is where the FDA seems okay with allowing a lot nastier ingredients, such as food additives, to remain off ingredients’ labels. E.g., ingredients in Crisco and other (shudder) “food” products.
Thank God Joyce Dudley’s on the job, addressing the most important issues facing our society.
Ok, fine. But could the DA get to work on my important matters?
OCT 28, 2019 01:26 PM —–This is why your parents sent you to school—so you could learn to read. As an adult, you read labels. You also read up on what may or may not be harmful to your body. Lazy Acres carries quite a few products (sugary things, preserved and processed foods) which are not in the least bit healthy for one. You must know, I think, that the FDA allows all kinds of “nasty bits” of things in foods: rat turds, insect parts, plastic linings on canned foods, pesticides, etc. This is why now, online, you can learn that the best foods for you are organically grown and the less processed and preserved foods you buy, the better. There are foods in every supermarket which have “hidden” ingredients. But . . . reading labels will only help up to a point. Do not think for one minute that every ingredient is listed on the labels.
Some may have an interest in “more important” matters but mislabeling food is right up there near the top for me. I avoid high fructose corn syrup like the plague and can’t imagine any need for it in pizza. I make perfectly good pizza w/o any syrup.
After the DA got wind of Bristol Farms’ deceit, the DA’s investigators discovered one clue after another, and Bristol Farms’ diabolical scheme quickly fell like Domino’s.
I hear you. I just think it’s crazy that this even had to go through the courts when we have a lot of other things going on. Automatic fine for violation. Let’s not clog the courts with cheese labels.
D***it. I tried to type MORE important matters. I personally have no important matters.
There are MANY people who do not desire more SUGAR in their processed foods regardless of how it’s disguised. Lazy Acres got caught doing something they KNEW was WRONG. You cheat, lie, whatever, you eventually get caught. No tears here
Joyce Dudley
DEPT/CORP LDR-DIST ATTY (2018)
Regular pay:$223,014.88
Overtime pay:$0.00
Other pay:$8,172.16
Total pay:$231,187.04
Benefits:$112,106.36
Total pay & benefits:$343,293.40
Out of ALL the products in that store, or more specifically, those made by Bristol Farms, is this the ONLY item with a false ingredient listing? Usually, the Cheese Pizza is a base for all others. So, the pepperoni had no issue? The Hawaiian had no issue? The White had no issue? Why is she hating on the cheese so bad? Is she mad cuz it don’t taste like her native new york pie? Mad cuz she wants Bettina and Ca Dario in Cito to thrive a lil more? This chick is ABSURD. I’d be embarrassed to have a press release in my name over this…..
What in the HE-dbl hockeystix was she thinking in this one?! One really has to wonder why something like this was pursued by the local DA. Like REALLLY!????
Gee wiz! Now that that’s cleared up, we can all rest easy at night…oh yeah, except for the eminent threat of wildfires caused by catastrophic climate change. But, at least we now know ALL the ingredients of the cheese pizza at Lazy Acres.
Lazy Acres is not a health food store. It is a chemical supplement emporium, with come groceries and a calculated patina that sells alcohol too.
Reminds of when the FDA issued a warning letter to a bakery for listing “love” as an ingredient.
This issue must have been raised by a citizen because it violates a law. Would you rather the DA refuse to enforce a law because you consider it small potatoes? I can imagine the criticism you would level at her if she did that. Keep up the excellent work Ms. Dudley!!
I am glad they caught and exposed Lazy Acres for what the store really is. I suspect $5000 didn’t cover the County’s costs, but I am still grateful the case was brought to court.