Fabuloso Settlement Results in $2M Payment Over Bacterial Contamination

Final approval of the $2 million Fabuloso class action settlement is expected in April 2024, providing financial compensation for consumers who paid premium prices for contaminated cleaning products.

A federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a class action lawsuit settlement with Fabuloso manufacturers, which would resolve claims over bacterial contamination problems that resulted in a massive recall earlier this year, due to concerns about that users of the cleaning products may faces serious infection risks.

The Fabuloso settlement agreement (PDF) was announced on November 14, involving three class action lawsuits brought brought on behalf of millions of consumers who paid premium prices for contaminated Fabuloso multi-purpose cleaners.

The lead plaintiffs were Elizabeth Dixon, Jeannie Patora, and Arnold Thomas, who claimed they were deceived about the safety of the products and exposed themselves to harmful bacteria in Fabuloso bottles, which were removed from store shelves due to the serious health risks the products posed for consumers.

In February, the first Fabuloso class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, claiming that Colgate-Palmolive Company improperly, deceptively, and misleadingly labeled and marketed the products to consumers, by failing to disclose the presence of dangerous bacteria.

That claim and two others subsequently filed argued that consumers relied on the product package labeling to make informed purchase decisions, indicating that the manufacture failed to adequately test the products for bacteria before selling them, exposing consumers to the infection causing bacteria.

In addition to seeking damages, plaintiffs also requested the court order Colgate-Palmolive Company to stop selling products until it takes actions to correct advertising materials.

The settlement agreement will allocate $2 million to consumers who purchased Fabuloso cleaning products distributed after December 14, 2022, which may have contained Pseudomonas species bacteria inside of bottles, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

If the settlement receives final approval during a hearing scheduled for April 25, 2024, consumers will be eligible to receive a full refund for up to five products if they provide proof of purchase, and those without proof of purchase may receive the average retail price for up to two products.

Fabuloso Cleaner Recall

The Fabuloso multi-purposed cleaner recall was announced on February 8, affecting five million bottles that the manufacturer acknowledged may contain harmful bacteria, which could cause life-threatening Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection risks for consumers.

The recall impacted bottles of Fabuloso original, concentrated, and bleach-alternative multi-purpose cleaners, as well as professional multi-purpose cleaning and degreasing solutions.

Colgate-Palmolive Company, of New York, manufactured the contaminated products, which were then distributed online and in stores nationwide by several major retailers including, Amazon, Dollar General, Family Dollar, The Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and others. They were sold from December 2022 until January 2023, and retailed for between $1 and $11.

While federal safety officials indicated that no illnesses have been reported in relation to the tainted Fabuloso products, they warn that consumers with weakened immune systems, external medical devices, or underlying lung conditions were at risk of suffering severe or fatal infections.

The bacterial strains found in the cleaners are not dangerous for most healthy individuals, however, they can cause severe and difficult-to-treat infections due to their antibiotic resistance and mutating capabilities. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also a predominant cause of lung infections among those with cystic fibrosis.