Trader Joe’s class action over cold-pressed juice dismissed

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Update:

• A federal judge in Illinois has permanently dismissed a class action lawsuit accusing Trader Joe’s of deceiving customers about the freshness of its “cold-pressed” green juice. 
• The judge determined the front label for Trader Joe’s cold-pressed green juice was factually accurate, was not misleading and had been interpreted unreasonably by the consumer behind the complaint.  
• Trader Joe’s had been accused of misleading consumers by getting them to believe the green juice product was exclusively cold-pressed when, in reality, it also went through “high-pressure processing.” 
• The consumer argued Trader Joe’s was able to charge a premium price for the product due to its allegedly misleading representations. 
• The judge, in dismissing the complaint, determined the consumer had only made claims that were conclusory.

Trader Joe’s cold pressed juice class action lawsuit:

• Who: A juice consumer is suing Trader Joe’s.
• Why: The consumer says Trader Joe’s deceives customers by marketing one of its juices as “cold pressed” when the juice is further processed after being pressed.
• Where: The case was filed in Illinois federal court.

(April 07, 2022)

Trader Joe’s deceives customers about its “cold pressed” juices, which are in fact cold pressed but then processed further, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Lisa Cristia filed the class action lawsuit against Trader Joe’s Company Apr. 7 in an Illinois federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

She said Trader Joe’s makes and markets juice represented as “Cold Pressed” under its own brand. 

The juice is marketed with label representations including “Cold Pressed Juice,” which Cristia says customers take to mean that the juice has been cold pressed and nothing more.

“Like ‘fresh squeezed juice,’ consumers understand ‘cold pressed juice’ refers to juice which was extracted from fruits and vegetables and not processed or subjected to any form of preservation beyond being ‘squeezed’ or ‘pressed,’” the lawsuit states.

Trader Joe’s sells the juice in the produce section, near fresh fruit and vegetables, further giving the impression that it is freshly made and reinforcing the statement of “cold pressed juice,” Cristia says. “However, the Product has more in common with juices sold in standard refrigerator cases because it is not freshly made or only cold pressed.”

Trader Joe’s discloses real processing method in fine print, class action claims

The lawsuit says the processing is only disclosed through fine print on the side of the product, which states that “High pressure processing” is applied to the juice after it is extracted from the fruits and vegetables.

“The use of HPP means describing the juice as “cold pressed” is misleading because it was processed after being extracted,” Cristia alleges.

She says Trader Joe’s sold more of the product and at higher prices than it would have by calling the juice “cold pressed,” resulting in additional profits at the expense of consumers.

The juices sell for $3.39 per 15.2 oz., excluding tax and sales, higher than similar products, Cristia says.

She is suing on behalf of all people who bought the product in Illinois plus a consumer fraud multistate class of consumers from Arkansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota, West Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Alaska and Montana.

Cristia is suing under Illinois consumer laws, state consumer fraud acts and for negligent misrepresentation and fraud. She is seeking certification of the class action, an injunction, fees, costs, damages and a jury trial.

Meanwhile, in 2021, Trader Joe’s agreed to pay $1.3 million to end class action allegations that certain canned tuna products sold under the store-brand label were underfilled.

Do you think “cold pressed” means the fruits and vegetables have been pressed and nothing more? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates, P.C

The Trader Joe’s Cold Pressed Class Action Lawsuit is Lisa Cristia v. Trader Joe’s Company, Case No. 1:22-cv-01788, in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.

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