Candy tasters sue Cadbury

NEWARK, N.J. - Three taste testers for candy maker Cadbury P.L.C. say they were seriously injured while sampling something sweet.

The three female testers sued the company's U.S. subsidiary, Cadbury Adams, this month claiming that the company hindered treatment by its delay in disclosing the ingredients to a dentist.

The women claim they suffered permanent injuries and assert Cadbury Adams failed to maintain a safe workplace, as required by New Jersey law. They are seeking unspecified monetary damages for medical expenses and suffering.

A Cadbury Adams vice president, Deborah Louison, declined to comment on the lawsuits. Its U.S. base is in Parsippany, and the research center is in nearby East Hanover.

Cadbury P.L.C. is based in England.

Also sued was Spherion Atlantic Enterprises L.L.C., which hired the women to work at Cadbury Adams for $10 an hour. A message seeking comment was not immediately returned.

The injuries happened this spring as the women were nearing the end of their training program, said their lawyer, Robyne D. LaGrotta. They first signed a form acknowledging that the product, a sweetener, was experimental, she said.

According to their suits, Maureen Zuccarini, of Parsippany, felt her mouth burning and had injuries to her tongue; Stefanie Bonfiglio, of Whippany, felt burning in her mouth and lower gum, along with a racing heart and swelling lip; and Donna Magliaro, of Denville, reported reactions on her lower lip and an irregular heartbeat.

To this day, "The women do not know what was in what they tested," LaGrotta said yesterday. Magliaro was later fired, her lawyer said: "She was told she was asking questions and making others uncomfortable."

The others quit, the lawyer said. "They no longer felt safe doing this, and the company disclosed that they had reactions, which is protected health information, and they were viewed by others as troublemakers," LaGrotta said.

The research facility employs about 150 people, including contract workers, said Cadbury Adams spokeswoman Katharine Beyer.