Pirate's Booty

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For the treasure a pirate may plunder, see Pirate booty.
Pirate's Booty.
Pirate's Booty.

Pirate's Booty is a snack food produced by Robert's American Gourmet Food. Available in the United States, it is considered Roberts's top product.[1]

The snack was developed by commodities trader Robert Ehrlich. He would often watch people purchasing snacks in a local supermarket, and became inspired by the ingredients of Wise Cheese Puffs. The snack, Ehrlich explained, did not have "any real cheese in them...most of the ingredients you couldn't even pronounce."[2]

The snack is made with natural ingredients and real cheese. The leading snack of Ehrlich's product line, it is available in 90% of supermarkets across the United States. The snack is often considered a healthy alternative to other snack foods, due to the organic ingredients, and has been recommended by Weight Watchers, although the product does not meet the Food and Drug Administration's criteria for low-fat foods.[2]

The Good Housekeeping Institute ran tests on the snack in 2002, and found that the snack contained nearly three times the amount of fat as advertised, and Robert's was forced to remove its low-fat label.[3] A $50 million class-action lawsuit was filed against Robert's for emotional distress and nutritional damage,[3] and was eventually settled for $3.5 million.[4] The settlement was later thrown out by a Brooklyn appeals court citing the broadness of the class and whether the settlement was reasonable.[4]

Robert's has also marketed a number of other similar products, including a low carbohydrate version called Girlfriend's Booty, the fruit-based Fruity Booty, and the vegetable-based Veggie Booty.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Forbes Small Business Magazine: "Ay, matey, Pirate's Booty hopes mascot sells snacks." Carlye Adler, 12 October 2006. URL accessed 28 December 2006.
  2. ^ a b Rutland Herald: "Does organic label mean it's better for us?" Liz Kim, 22 November 2006. URL accessed 28 December 2006.
  3. ^ a b San Francisco Chronicle: "Mom blows whistle on 'booty' snack: Rice puffs contain three times more fat than shown on label." Maggie Farley, 12 October 2006. URL accessed 28 December 2006.
  4. ^ a b New York Law Journal: "Court Rejects Class Settlement and Attorney Fees in Suit Over Nutrition Data." Tom Perotta, 12 February 2006. URL accessed 28 December 2006.
  5. ^ Amazon.com: Robert's American Gourmet Snacks. URL accessed 28 December 2006.
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