General Mills fruit snacks more like "candy"-lawsuit

Oct 14 (Reuters) - Ads for General Mills fruit snacks mislead customers into thinking products like its Fruit Roll-Ups are healthy, when they actually lack significant amounts of real, natural fruit, according to a new lawsuit.

The proposed class action complaint against General Mills was filed on Friday.

General Mills fruit snacks are marketed as healthy, but their trans fat and added sugars make selling them "little better than giving candy to children," the lawsuit said.

General Mills representative Kris Patton said the company had not yet been served with the lawsuit.

"We stand behind our products - and we stand behind the accuracy of the labeling of those products," Patton said in an email.

The suit against General Mills was filed on behalf of a California consumer on Friday by attorneys from nutrition advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Annie Lam, on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated v. General Mills Inc., 11-5056.