Milling & Baking News - May 5, 2020 - 12

Business

District court okays class-action
settlement in Bimbo labeling suit
SAN FRANCISCO - A district court
in California on April 28 approved a
class-action settlement involving a labeling case between defendant Bimbo
Bakeries USA, Horsham, Pa., a business of Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV, and
plaintiffs Alex Ang and Lynn Streit.
The decision to approve the settlement
comes nearly a month after the court
denied a proposed settlement, citing
concerns about a lack of notice to absent class members.
The case, which originally was filed
on March 18, 2013, involves the alleged misbranding of baked foods under brands such as Oroweat, Thomas'
and Bimbo. Examples of products

allegedly labeled improperly included
those with the American Heart Association's Heart-Check mark without
acknowledging the mark is a paid
endorsement; products labeled as a
"good source of whole grain" or an
"excellent source of whole grain";
products labeled as "bread" even
though they contained added coloring; and products labeled as "100%
whole wheat" even though they were
made with non-whole wheat flour.
Talks of a settlement took place in
December 2019. The district court
held a hearing about it on Feb. 13. The
court raised concerns about the lack of
notice to absent class members in the

Weston Foods temporarily closes
Interbake cookie, cracker plant
NORTH SIOUX CITY, SD. - Weston
Foods temporarily has closed its Interbake Foods cookie and cracker
plant in North Sioux City after an
employee at the facility tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19)
on April 22.
"We took immediate steps to temporarily close the facility," Weston
Foods said. "In accordance with our
COVID-19 protocols, we will not reopen the facility until it has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and, in
accordance with Siouxland District
Health, contact tracing has been completed. Any employees who worked
closely with the individuals who tested positive will be asked to self-isolate

and monitor for any symptoms.
"As we address positive cases in
our facilities, our focus is completing
the standard steps to ensure the health

and safety of our employees, while
also working to bring operations back
up swiftly and smoothly."
Weston Foods said employee and
food safety always have been a priority for the company, but during the
COVID-19 pandemic the company has
stepped up its efforts "to a new level."

Zen-Noh Grain Corp. to acquire 35
grain elevators from Bunge
COVINGTON, LA. - Zen-Noh Grain
Corp. (ZCG), a subsidiary of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations of Japan (ZenNoh), has reached an agreement to
acquire 35 US interior elevators from
Bunge North America, Inc., a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Bunge Ltd. The
completion of the sale is subject to customary closing conditions, including
regulatory approval.
"This transaction will allow Bunge
to operate more efficiently and reinvest in higher returning areas of the
company while reducing costs and
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Milling & Baking News

strengthening our balance sheet,"
said Gregory A. Heckman, chief executive officer of Bunge. "Bunge will
continue to be an industry leader in
the US grain marketplace through
global grain trading and distribution
with our export terminals in Destrehan, La., which we are expanding, and
EGT, our joint venture in the Pacific
Northwest. We will also continue our
strong presence in the soybean processing business and milling operations."
ZGC said its affiliate, CGB Enterprises, Inc., Covington, will operate

proposed settlement. The plaintiffs
and defendants reconvened on April
17 to file a new settlement.
Under terms of the new settlement,
the parties have agreed to several terms:
* Issue a joint press release;
* Post the proposed notice and key
case documents on class counsel's
public websites;
* Post the proposed notice on
Grupo Bimbo's public website, with
links to key case documents on class
counsel's websites. The notice will be
posted in the "media inquiries" section of Grupo Bimbo's website, where
the company posts product recall information; and
* In accordance with the Class Action Fairness Act, the parties will notify the United States and California
Attorneys General of the settlement. MBN
"Teams across our company are
working every day to take the needed
actions, including enhanced sanitation
procedures, social distancing protocols, pre-shift temperature checks and
limiting facility visitors to keep our
frontline teams safe while they help
keep North America's food supply
up and running," the company said.
"Early on, we implemented a pay protection program, so our frontline employees are able to stay home if they
are ill and not have to choose between
their income and their health."
Weston Foods said it is prepared
to handle any positive cases in its facilities and has implemented a threepoint response plan that includes an
orderly close of the facility, a detailed
risk assessment and action plan, and
ongoing, transparent communication
with employees. MBN
the acquired facilities through its
wholly owned subsidiary, Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. CGB currently
operates more than 100 grain origination facilities in the United States.
Through certain supply agreements,
Bunge said it will be able to access a
larger and stronger origination and
distribution network through ZenNoh to better serve American farmers
and global export customers.
In addition to the export terminals
in Destrehan and the EGT joint venture, Bunge will retain ownership in
Bunge-SCF Grain, Bunge's joint venture with SCF, and the Bunge elevators in Indiana that directly support
Bunge's soybean processing plant
in Morristown. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

5/1/2020 9:44:18 AM

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - May 5, 2020

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