Gerber is offering savings bonds to parents as part of a lawsuit settlement-Fiction!

Get a Savings Bond from Gerber Foods-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor:
An email claims that Gerber Food Corporation lost a class-action lawsuit for falsely advertising "all natural" baby products which were later found to have preservatives in them. As a part of the settlement, Gerber is required to give a $500 U.S. Savings Bond to children born between 1985 and 1997. The number of a Post Office box in Minnesota is given where a copy the child's birth certificate and social security card are to be mailed.

The Truth:
According to Gerber, this is false and no such lawsuit or settlement exist. They do explain, however, that their name apparently got mistakenly connected with a settlement that was reached in 1996 involving infant formula and pricing issues, but did not include Gerber. The Post Office box number that is included in all versions of this eRumor is the one that was used for responding to the formula and pricing settlement. The deadline for that settlement, however, was January 31, 1997 and the Post Office box has been closed.

A real example of the story as it has been circulated:

GERBER ORDERED TO PURCHASE SAVINGS BONDS FOLLOWING LAWSUIT

In a lawsuit settled this fall, Gerber Food Corporation has been ordered to give every child born between 1985 and 1997 a $500.00 U.S. Savings Bond for falsely advertising "All Natural" baby food products which were found to contain preservatives.

Reuters News Service reported that Gerber Baby Food lost a class action lawsuit.

The settlement requires Gerber Food to provide the savings bonds, but does not require Gerber to advertise the settlement or attempt to contact product users.

Bonds may be obtained by sending a copy of the child's birth certificate and social security card to: Gerber Food [A P.O. Box in Minnesota is in the original email]