A federal judge has ruled that Kraft Heinz must face a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit claiming it misled consumers by advertising its Kraft macaroni and cheese as free from artificial preservatives.
A federal judge said Kraft Heinz must face a proposed nationwide class action alleging that it defrauded consumers by claiming its Kraft macaroni and cheese, one of its best-known products, contains no artificial preservatives
11/21/2024
In a decision issued on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland stated that consumers from Illinois, California, and New York who are leading the lawsuit have sufficiently argued that Kraft Mac & Cheese contains synthetic citric acid and sodium phosphates, which function as preservatives. The plaintiffs argue that this makes the product’s “No Artificial Flavors, Preservatives or Dyes” label misleading. They supported their claims with academic studies and Food and Drug Administration guidelines.
“These allegations are sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss,” Judge Rowland wrote.
While Rowland acknowledged Kraft Heinz’s argument that the plaintiffs were aware of the alleged deceptive practices and therefore could not demand new labels, she allowed the case to proceed. Kraft Heinz had argued that there were no factual allegations showing that the ingredients in its macaroni and cheese were artificial preservatives, and that no reasonable consumer would consider the ingredients to be artificial.
Kraft Heinz and its attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. Similarly, the plaintiffs’ lawyers did not provide immediate responses.
In a separate case in July 2023, a federal judge in Miami dismissed a lawsuit that accused Kraft Heinz of misleading consumers about the preparation time for microwaveable Velveeta macaroni and cheese.
Kraft Heinz, based in Chicago and Pittsburgh, is partially owned by Berkshire Hathaway, which holds 26.9% of the company’s stock.
The case is titled Hayes et al v. Kraft Heinz Co, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, No. 23-16596. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for fraud, unjust enrichment, and violations of state consumer protection laws. This lawsuit is part of a broader trend of legal challenges against the accuracy of food labeling.
Elon Musk has said: The Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year
6/5/2025 8:32 PMTrump has said: I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago
6/5/2025 8:27 PMElon Musk has endorsed a post saying Trump should be impeached
6/5/2025 8:26 PMElon Musk has said: In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately
6/5/2025 8:22 PM
Stay Updated
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest financial insights and news.
Unusual Whales does not confirm the information's truthfulness or accuracy of the associated references, data, and cannot verify any of the information. Any content on this site or related pages are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Unusual Whales Inc. is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any state securities regulatory authority. Nothing on Unusual Whales should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by Unusual Whales or any third party. Options, investing, trading is risky, and losses are more expected than profits. Please do own research before investing. Please only subscribe after reading our full terms and understanding options and the market, and the inherent risks of trading. It is highly recommended not to trade on this, or any, information from Unusual Whales. Markets are risky, and you will likely lose some or all of your capital. Please check our terms for full details.
Any content on this site or related pages are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Unusual Whales Inc. is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any state securities regulatory authority. Nothing on Unusual Whales should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by Unusual Whales or any third party. Certain investment planning tools available on Unusual Whales may provide general investment education based on your input. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation. See terms for more information.