Dannon v. Chobani: The war between the two giant New York yogurt makers is straight out of “Seinfeld.”
You know: The episode where Jerry and Elaine start pigging out on “healthy nonfat yogurt,” only to have Kramer point out that they’re packing on pounds — prompting the question: Is the yogurt really nonfat or not?
But this fight is coming during the ads — and in the courts.
Last week, Chobani premiered an ad for its new low-calorie Greek yogurt: A young woman sitting poolside reaches for a cup of Dannon Greek yogurt — then she reads the ingredients and tosses it in the trash.
In the background, the narrator says: “Dannon Light Fit Greek actually uses artificial sweeteners like sucralose. Sucralose — why? That stuff has chlorine in it.”
Naturally (pun intended), Dannon sent Chobani a cease-and-desist letter, calling the ads deceptive and unfair.
Sucralose “has been safely and widely used as a sweetener in foods for more than 15 years,” Dannon spokesperson Michael Neuwirth told The New York Times.
In response, Chobani’s asking for a federal jury trial to prove it’s violating no laws.
Ouch — this comedy’s getting a lot meaner than even “Seinfeld” ever did.