Miller Brewing, Accused of Being a Lite-Weight, Bottles a Dispute
Prosecutors say that even though Miller Brewing Co.’s Lite beer may have great taste, it was also less filling--literally.
In a complaint filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the district attorney’s office alleged that at least 117,432 Lite bottles in Southern California were about 1% short of the promised volume.
The crisis was over before mystery writer Mickey Spillane, comedian Rodney Dangerfield or a host of sports celebrities who have argued the company’s “great taste; less filling” advertising debate could be summoned.
Within hours of the complaint’s filing, Milwaukee, Wis.,-based Miller, admitting no wrongdoing, agreed to pull all the allegedly short-weighted bottles from its sales racks and agreed to pay $18,000 in civil penalties and $2,500 in costs, Deputy Dist. Atty. Thomas Papageorge said.
The lightweight bottles of Lite were filled during a single bottling run at a plant in Irwindale, about 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
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