A lawsuit against Dole filed by Filipino banana plantation workers has been dismissed by a Los Angeles superior court. The lawsuit was filed against the fresh produce company last year by 2,935 Filipino plaintiffs "claiming to be banana workers who had been injured from alleged exposure more than 30 years ago to the agricultural chemical DBCP", according to a statement from Dole.
The plaintiffs had previously filed a similar lawsuit 13 years ago which was dismissed by the Philippine Supreme Court.
"The Superior Court dismissed a case that should never have been brought in the first place. 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," said C. Michael Carter, Dole's executive vice president and general counsel.
A leading producer of organic bananas, Dole claims to be the world’s largest producer of fresh fruit and vegetables. The Calafornia-based company had net revenues of $7,224 million in 2011. (9 Aug)
© 2012 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
