An Illinois consumer has brought a proposed class action against Herr Foods Inc., alleging the packaging of its jalapeño-poppers-flavored cheese curls misleads consumers as to the source of the product’s flavoring. Forlenza v. Herr Foods Inc., No. 22-5278 (N.D. Ill., filed September 27, 2022) The plaintiff asserted in the complaint that consumers have a hierarchy when it comes to the source of a food’s taste: the most preferred option is when the taste comes from a characterizing food ingredient, followed by natural flavors and artificial flavors. She also cited surveys finding that a majority of the public seeks to avoid artificial flavoring. The plaintiff said she read and relied on labeling including “Oven Baked With Real Cheese,” “Flavored Cheese Curls,” and a picture of a ripe jalapeño and cheese dripping out of one of the snacks, among other representations, and believed the product got its jalapeño and cheese taste from…
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An Illinois federal court has granted a partial motion to dismiss a putative class action alleging that Kashi Sales L.L.C. misled consumers by making the flavoring of "Ripe Strawberry" cereal bars with pear juice concentrate and apple powder. Johnston v. Kashi Sales L.L.C., No. 21-0441 (S.D. Ill., entered September 8, 2022). The plaintiff alleged that she "expected the filling would contain more strawberry ingredients than other fruit ingredients, but did not expect that the 'filling would contain more pears and apples compared to strawberries.'” The court first disposed of the plaintiff's request for injunctive relief, finding that she did not have standing because she is aware of the allegedly deceptive sales practices. The court discussed a number of decisions centered on similar issues and compared their outcomes. "Like the deceptive advertising cases that survive dismissal—where the words in defendants’ labels were subject to different plausible interpretations—the phrase 'Ripe Strawberry' is…
An Illinois consumer has filed a putative class action against Kellogg Sales Co., alleging it misrepresented the amount of whole grains its Harvest Wheat Toasteds crackers contain. Moore v. Kellogg Sales Co., No. 22-03172 (C.D. Ill., filed September 5, 2022). The plaintiff asserts in the complaint that consumers want to consume more whole grains, but their efforts to do so are stymied by confusing product labels. “One food and nutrition professor stated, ‘Even people with advanced degrees cannot figure out how much whole grain’ is in products represented to consumers as whole grain,” the plaintiff said in the complaint. She asserted that despite the labeling of the crackers at issue as “Harvest Wheat,” and the product’s appearance of having a dark brown color and visible pieces of grains, it “contains a negligible absolute and relative amount of whole grains compared to refined grains.” The plaintiff alleged that the value of the…
Two consumers have filed a putative class action alleging that Barilla America Inc. markets its pasta to incorrectly imply that the products are made in Italy. Sinatro v. Barilla Am. Inc., No. 22-3460 (N.D. Cal., filed June 11, 2022). The complaint asserts that consumers seek "authentic Italian-made pastas" because they "hold a certain prestige and [are] generally viewed as a higher quality product." The plaintiffs argue that Barilla's statement "Italy's #1 Brand of Pasta," which appears prominently on its product packaging, leads consumers to believe that the products are made in Italy rather than New York and Iowa. Further, the company's website describes it as "an Italian family-owned food company" and emphasizes that "Italians know the familiar Blue Box means quality, perfectly al dente pastas every time. That's why Barilla has been an Italian favorite for over 140 years, and continues to be the #1 pasta in Italy today." For alleged…
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging Danone North America Public Benefit Corp. misleads consumers about the nature of its International Delight coffee creamers by labeling the products as creamers rather than non-dairy creamers. English v. Danone N. Am. Pub. Benefit Corp., No. 22-5105 (S.D.N.Y., filed June 17, 2022). The plaintiff argues that International Delight creamer "lacks cream or dairy ingredients beyond a de minimis amount of sodium caseinate" and instead "substitutes water and palm oil, the first and third ingredients, to reduce costs." The complaint notes that consumers "value cream from dairy ingredients for its nutritive purposes," and the plaintiff alleges she would not have purchased the product if she had not been misled by the packaging implying the presence of dairy ingredients. For alleged violations of New York consumer-protection statutes, fraud, unjust enrichment and breach of express warranty, the plaintiff seeks class certification, restitution, damages and attorney's fees.
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging Whole Foods Market Group Inc. sells a boxed rice pilaf in packaging that misleads consumers by being larger than the ingredients inside require. Jacobs v. Whole Foods Mkt. Grp., No. 22-0002 (N.D. Ill., E. Div., filed January 1, 2022). The complaint details Whole Foods' stated commitment to environmentally friendly practices before arguing that the rice pilaf box contains "over 50%" empty space without legitimate reason. "Defendant promised customers, through digital, print, audio, television, and in-store placards and signs, that it is replicating its reduction in excess packing materials across all aspects of its operations, to promote environmental welfare," the plaintiff asserts. "Defendant’s excess packaging violates its pledges and commitments to consumers that it will operate sustainably and promote environmental stewardship." In addition to allegations of fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment, the plaintiff alleges violations of Illinois consumer-protection statutes and the Magnuson-Moss…
Kilwins Quality Confections Inc. sold chocolate and other candy products in containers that "materially overstate the volume of the contents," according to a plaintiff. Rand v. Kilwins Quality Confections Inc., No. 21-1513 (N.D. Ill., E. Div., filed March 18, 2021). The consumer argues that the company's shredded-chocolate containers "materially overstate the actual volume of, and the number of servings contained in, the containers and packaging in which they are advertised and sold and similarly materially understate the caloric content of a serving." The jars of chocolate were labeled as containing 20 servings of two tablespoons despite containing only 16 servings of that size, the plaintiff argues, and the caloric content of one serving is 140 calories rather than 110 calories as listed on the package. "While Kilwins has recently quietly corrected labeling on the mislabeled products, it has failed to compensate thousands of consumers who, over the three (3) to…
A New York federal court has dismissed a lawsuit against Oregon Chai Inc. for failure to state a claim in litigation centered on whether using the term "vanilla" on packaging is misleading to consumers. Cosgrove v. Oregon Chai Inc., No. 19-10686 (S.D.N.Y., entered February 22, 2021). "In the past two years, counsel for Plaintiffs [] has filed numerous class action complaints across the country, including several in this District, challenging food manufacturers’ use of the term 'vanilla' in their descriptions or advertising," the decision begins. "In nearly all of these cases, the district court ultimately found that the plaintiffs had failed to state a viable claim for relief. This time, Plaintiffs challenge Defendant Oregon Chai, Inc. [], claiming that Defendant’s use of the term 'vanilla' and other statements on the packaging of its chai tea latte powdered mix is misleading to consumers. As set forth in the remainder of this Opinion,…
A California federal court has approved the settlement of a lawsuit alleging Post Foods LLC misrepresented the nutritional value of its cereals because of the added sugar content. Krommenhock v. Post Foods LLC, No. 16-4958 (N.D. Cal., entered February 24, 2021). Under the settlement agreement, Post will pay $15 million to the nationwide class and remove phrases related to nutritional benefits on its packaging if more than 10% of the cereal's calories per serving come from added sugar.
A plaintiff has filed a putative class action alleging Demoulas Super Markets Inc. includes representations on its Market Basket coffee indicating that the tins hold 76 to 79 cups of coffee but only contain 37 to 39 cups when prepared according to the label's instructions. Cohen v. Demoulas Super Mkts. Inc., No. 21-10177 (D. Mass., filed February 2, 2021). "This means that consumers of the Products, including Plaintiff, were cheated out of 51% of the servings they paid for, in both cases, based on the advertising, marketing, and labeling of the Products," the complaint asserts. The plaintiff alleges claims of unjust enrichment as well as breach of express warranty and untrue and misleading advertising under Massachusetts General Laws.
