Featured Engagement: Proposed Framework for Economic Damages in Antibiotic-Free Beef Claims

Vega Economics and Dr. Jon M. Riddle were engaged by a putative class of consumers in a class-action lawsuit against Whole Foods Market in Safari et al. v. Whole Foods Market Services, Inc. (C.D. Cal. No. 8:22-CV-01562). The class alleges that Whole Foods falsely marketed its beef products as “No Antibiotics, Ever” (NAE) resulting in consumers paying a premium for products that did not meet advertised standards. Dr. Riddle was retained to propose a methodology to measure the damages of these alleged misrepresentations to the class.

Dr. Riddle has worked as a professional economist for over 30 years. He has provided expert opinions on a wide range of engagements for private attorneys, state attorneys general, the Internal Revenue Service, labor unions, and trade associations. These investigations have included antitrust (market definition, structure, conduct, harm, overcharges, and damages), mergers (market definition, structure, harm to competition, mitigating effects), health care (market structure, contracts, non-contracted payments, charges, and reimbursement policies), the pharmaceutical industry (market structure, merger effects, and prices), and valuation and damages.

Riddle Declaration (Redacted) 12.6.24