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The methionine price fixing class action was commenced against various manufacturers who conspired to fix the price of methionine, an amino acid chiefly used as a poultry feed and hog feed additive. The action is brought on behalf of all companies or persons residing in British Columbia who purchased, used or received methionine and who purchased products containing methionine or products derived from animals that consumed methionine between 1985 and 1998.

All defendants have now settled and the court approved the settlement with Novus and Degussa on June 28, 2010. To view the Notice, a court approved summary of the settlement, click here.

Deloitte & Touche LLP were appointed Claims Administrator and as such are responsible for distributing the settlement funds. Inquiries regarding claims should be directed to Deloittes at vitamins@deloitte.ca or toll free 1-866-669-6615.

Please note that all claims must be sent to Deloitte & Touche no later than November 30, 2010 and the deadline for opting out of the Novus and Degussa settlements is October 31, 2010.

See www.vitaminsclassaction.com for more information about the settlement and the claims process.

For more information please contact Jane Tielker, Paralegal, at jtielker@cfmlawyers.ca.

Vitamins Price Fixing Class Action

Various class actions have been settled with a host of manufacturers of various vitamin products including choline chloride, niacin, methionine, biotin, Astaxanthin, Canthaxanthin, Beta Carotene, and Vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, E and vitamin premixes. The settlement is valued at approximately $140 million less settlement credits. It was alleged that the vitamin manufacturers conspired to fix the price of these various vitamins and allocate markets as early as 1985 to as late as 1999.

The claims period has now passed. See www.vitaminsclassaction.com for more information about the settlement and the claims process.

A similar action in the United States covering the same products was settled on behalf of the direct purchasers for approximately $1.1 billion US. In addition a number of settlements have been made in the U.S.with indirect purchasers and consumers of the various vitamin products.