Wesson Oil has been a staple in many American homes for over 120 years. Developed by food chemist David Wesson in the 1880s as a commercial alternative to shortenings with animal fat, it was originally made from cottonseed oil, but more recent varieties may include corn, canola, soybean or sunflower oil.
Wesson Oil is still a top seller and has long held a reputation for being healthier than lard. But a class action suit (PDF) filed back in 2011 claims ConAgra Foods, Wesson's then-parent company, falsely advertised it as "100% natural" even though it is made from genetically modified vegetables.
After more than a decade of legal wrangling -- including a rejected $8 million settlement -- a federal judge gave preliminary approval in November to a $3 million payout.
The settlement site went live this month and customers who purchased Wesson oil during the specified time frame can now submit claims for compensation.
For more on class action suits, find out if you're eligible for money from Apple's $50 Million MacBook Keyboard settlement or Keurig's $10 million K-Cup payout.
From at least 2006 until 2017, language on Wesson oil bottles claimed the vegetable shortening was "100% natural."
But, the lawsuit alleges, this was false advertising because the oil contained genetically modified corn and soy. Customers were "induced to pay more for Wesson Oils due to that false and deceptive claim," according to the complaint.
By July 2017, ConAgra had...
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