SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- The Monterey County and Santa Cruz District Attorney's Offices announced that a dietary company will have to pay $1.1 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit bought on by several district attorneys in California.
Utah-based Evig or known as Balance of Nature has been ordered to pay $850,000 in civil penalties and investigative costs along with $250,000 in restitution to customers.
"My office continues to be committed to the protection of consumers and
holding businesses accountable for making unsupported claims about their products as well as other business practices that violate the law," Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rossell said in a statement.
The case was filed in Napa County Superior Court with the California Food, Drug and Medical Device Task Force. The group includes both Monterey County and Santa Cruz District Attorney's Offices as well as Alameda, Marin, Orange, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties.
The company sells supplements in capsule form which is made from ground-up fruit and vegetables. Prosecutors alleged that Balance of Nature made unlawful claims which were not supported by "reliable scientific evidence."
Rossell said that Balance of Nature claimed one serving of its fruit products which weighs about two grams contained the equivalent of over 5 servings of fruits per dose.
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