McDonald’s Happy Meal lawsuit dismissed by California judge

A San Francisco judge has dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit that sought to stop McDonald's Corp. from using toys to market its meals to children in California.

The litigation was filed in late 2010 by Monet Parham, a California mother of two, and The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., The Associated Press Reported.

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It had claimed that the world's biggest hamburger chain was violating consumer protection laws and exploiting children's vulnerability by using toys to lure them to eat nutritionally unbalanced meals that can lead to obesity, according to the AP.

Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer did not give a reason in his decision for dismissing the suit, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Michael F. Jacobson, the center's executive director, said in a strongly worded statement that using toys to lure kids to unhealthy fast food was "a predatory practice" that involves "unscrupulous marketing techniques."

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Center officials were considering appealing the decision, CBS News reported.

McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud said in a statement to the AP that the lawsuit was without merit and detracted from "the important issue of children's health and nutrition."

"We are proud of our Happy Meals and will vigorously defend our brand, our reputation and our food," Proud said. "We stand on our 30-year track record of providing a fun experience for kids and families at McDonald's."

Last July, McDonald's announced that it would reduce the portion of French fries in every Happy Meal by half and replace them with apple slices. The rollout of the initiative began in September and was recently completed, the LA Times reported.