‘Fruit naturals’

SAN FRANCISCO — The Ninth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a consumer’s lawsuit against Del Monte Food over the phrase “fruit naturals,” which appears on its fruit cups. The customer says the packaging led him to believe that all the cup’s ingredients were natural, but because “naturals” is a noun and not a descriptive adjective, and because the registered-trademark symbol appeals after the phrase, “fruit naturals” should be understood just as the name of the product.