Good news for claimants against vitamin cartel

Food producers overcharged for vitamins by a vitamin cartel in the 1990s will now be able to seek compensation via UK courts. The news follows a ruling by the US Supreme Court, which reversed an earlier decision that would have forced European manufacturers to seek compensation in US courts.

Alan Owens, a partner at law firm Irwin Mitchell, which is currently co-ordinating claims for compensation on behalf of some major UK food companies, says: "Unless a UK or European Union (EU)-based company can prove the extra costs they paid to the cartel directly affected their US operations they should now seek UK and EU legal remedies."

The vitamins cartel spanned a period from September 1989 to February 1999 when a group of 13 major manufacturers, including F Hoffmann-La Roche of Switzerland and BASF from Germany, fixed the prices of their vitamin products much higher than they should have been. Its discovery led to convictions both in the US and Europe.

Many US companies have already made successful multi-million dollar claims. Owens says he expects "increased numbers of claims in the UK courts" as a result of the ruling.

Irwin Mitchell is holding two special seminars to advise food companies on the legality of claims on July 8 at the Cambridge Belfry Hotel and its offices in Holborn, London.

Contact Alan Owens on tel: 0870 1500 100 for more details.