(Woodland, CA) – January 13, 2015 – Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced that his office, along with the Offices of the District Attorney San Joaquin, Fresno and Shasta, reached a settlement in a consumer protection case filed on December 18, 2014, against Johnson & Johnson and Neutrogena for alleged product packaging violations in the sale of over the counter and health and beauty products. The case began with Sacramento and Contra Costa Counties which participated in the investigation.
It focused on packages that were misleading, because the packages appeared to hold more product than they actually held. No public health implications were alleged and Johnson & Johnson and Neutrogena cooperated with prosecutors during the investigation and agreed to take steps to assure the future packaging of its products are in compliance with federal, state and local law. Without admitting wrongdoing, Johnson & Johnson and Neutrogena agreed, as part of the settlement, to pay a total of $506,000 in civil penalties and investigative costs.
Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig stated, “No business may mislead the public by packaging its products in containers that have excessive and undisclosed empty space. Consumers have the right to honesty and fair dealing. Our Office remains vigilant to ensure that any products sold to California consumers comply with all state packaging laws.”
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