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GRILL MAKER TAKES HEAT
NUTRITION GROUP WILL BENEFIT FROM GRILL LAWSUIT
Utahns will learn how to eat leaner-not necessarily meaner----thanks to a settlement with the manufacturer of George Foreman's Mean Lean Fat Burning Machine. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff announced today that the Utah Dietetic Association will get $62,000 from grill manufacturer Salton Inc. The manufacturer agreed to pay a total of $8.2 million nationally to settle an antitrust lawsuit for allegedly fixing the price of its electric grills.
The Utah Dietetic Association (UDA) will use the money for nine public health projects such as offering training about nutrition and obesity to students, senior citizens, Hispanic and Native American groups and patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
"This is a great opportunity to serve the people in Utah and really reach some of the high risk groups in the state," says Diana McGuire, member and past president of the UDA. She says the public will learn about these programs at health fairs, schools and other events.
The settlement is the result of a two-year investigation into allegations that Salton coerced retailers to eliminate discounts for the grill and remove competitors' grills from store shelves. Because of the difficulty of identifying everyone who purchased the grill, the settlement is being distributed to charities and government agencies to improve health care and nutrition.
"It's a shame Salton used anti-competitive means to sell grills---but it's nice to be able to use the settlement money to educate Utahns and promote nutrition," says Wayne Klein, division chief of the Commercial Enforcement Division for the Attorney General's Office.
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