SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Francisco judge has dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit that sought to stop McDonald's Corp. from using toys to market its meals to children in the Golden State, said the Associated Press. The suit had been filed in late 2010 by Monet Parham, a California mother of two, and The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
The suit had claimed that the world's biggest hamburger chain was violating consumer protection laws and exploiting children's vulnerability by using toys to lure them to eat nutritionally unbalanced meals that can lead to obesity. The lawsuit did not seek damages.
McDonald's spokesperson Danya Proud said that the lawsuit was without merit and detracted from "the important issue of children's health and nutrition."
In a statement, she said, "We are proud of our Happy Meals and will vigorously defend our brand, our reputation and our food. We stand on our 30-year track record of providing a fun experience for kids and families at McDonald's."
The company last July announced that it would reduce the portion of French fries in every Happy Meal by half and replace them with apple slices. The rollout of the initiative began in September and was recently completed.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest said in a statement that it will discuss with Parham whether to appeal the case. The group called the use of toys to market food a "predatory practice that undermines parents, causes rifts in families and harms kids' health."
The suit, filed in the county of San Francisco, was dismissed by Judge Richard Kramer last Wednesday.
Court documents show that Kramer dismissed Parham's claims without giving her a chance to file an amended lawsuit. The documents do not contain any details of Kramer's legal analysis, added a Reuters report.
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