StarKist Co. will be offering $25 in cash or $50 worth of free tuna to certain consumers as part of a $12 million settlement for the class-action lawsuit filed against the company, according to a report from Top Class Actions.
StarKist will be settling for allegedly under filling some of its 5-ounce canned tuna products.
The company was accused by Patrick Hendricks, a consumer of StarKist's tuna products, of allegedly under filling its 5-ounce tuna products, according to Top Class Actions.
Hendricks filed the class-action lawsuit on February 2013.
Top Class Action adds that under federal law a 5-ounce can require that it contains at least an average of 2.84 to 3.32 ounces of tuna.
Hendricks alleges that StarKist's 5-ounce cans of tuna contain an average of only 2.81 to 3.11 ounces of tuna.
Top Class Action adds that Hendricks claimed he would not have purchased the product had he known it did not contain the sufficient amount of tuna for a 5-ounce can.
The class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of Hendricks and a Class of consumers who purchased the allegedly inadequate amount of StarKist's 5-ounce can of tuna.
The New York Times adds that Hendricks had done independent testing on StarKist's tuna cans to determine that the cans had an inadequate amount.
The tests determined that the cans contain as much as 17.3 percent less than the minimum that the federal law requires.
Top Class Action U.S. residents who purchased certain StarKist tuna products between Feb. 19, 2009, and Oct. 31, 2014, are eligible to receive the settlement.
The StarKist tuna products that are allegedly under filled are the 5 oz. Chunk Light in Water, the 5 oz. Chunk Light in Oil, the 5 oz. Solid White in Water, and the 5 oz. Solid White in Oil.
Consumers who are part of the class-action lawsuit settlement can file a claim at tunalawsuit.com.
The website also states that consumers who are part of the settlement have until November 20, 2015, to file a claim.
Top Class Action adds that a proof of purchase is not required.
Consumers who are part of the class-action lawsuit settlement are, however, required to submit a Claim Form confirming under the penalty of perjury (1) the specific StarKist product purchased and (2) that the purchases were made between Feb. 19, 2009, and Oct. 31, 2014, according to Top Class Action.
