Philippine plaintiffs lose lawsuit vs. Dole

Source：Dole Release Date：2012-08-13 330

Food & Beverage

California court dismisses lawsuit against Dole brought by Philippine plaintiffs claiming to be banana workers

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA – Dole Food Company, Inc., (NYSE:DOLE) said Wednesday that the Los Angeles Superior Court dismissed with prejudice the case Macasa v. Dole. The lawsuit, which was filed last year, had been brought by 2,935 Philippine plaintiffs claiming to be banana workers who had been injured from alleged exposure more than 30 years ago to the agricultural chemical DBCP.

The plaintiffs had filed an identical lawsuit 13 years earlier in the Philippines, which was ultimately dismissed by the Philippine Supreme Court.

“The Superior Court dismissed a case that should never have been brought in the first place,” said C. Michael Carter, Dole's executive vice president and general counsel. “There is simply no reliable scientific basis for alleged injuries from the agricultural field application of DBCP, and the fraudulent claims in Macasa were no different than other similar cases.”

Dole is the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen foods and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.Air Max 90 Ultra Moire