Tostitos ‘Hint of Lime’ tortilla chips do not contain any lime, class action lawsuit alleges

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Frito-Lay Hint of Lime Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

• Who: A consumer sued Frito-Lay over its Tostitos brand ‘Hint of Lime’ tortilla chips.
• Why: The customer claims the chips don’t contain any lime at all.
• Where: The lawsuit was filed in federal court in California.

Tostitos brand ‘Hint of Lime’ tortilla chips don’t contain a hint, whisper or whiff of lime, in violation of advertising laws, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Frank Ortega filed the class action complaint against Tostitos’ owner Frito-Lay North America, Inc. in a California court Wednesday, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

Ortega is bringing the class action on behalf of anyone who bought Tostitos brand “Hint of Lime” tortilla chips in California since June 24, 2015.

“The product is promoted as containing a “Hint of Lime”, when in fact, the Product does not even contain that “hint” — it does not contain any lime at all,” Ortega alleges.

Ortega says he bought the tortilla chips at a California Target expecting them to contain at least a tiny amount of lime. 

He alleges that the front label representations on the chips include the text “hint of lime,” a transparent cut-out of a lime wedge with several drops representing lime juice, a green and yellow color pattern, and the statement, “Here’s Another Hint – Squeeze in More Flavor With Some Salsa.” 

According to Ortega, these representations mislead consumers about whether or not the product actually contains lime. 

“Plaintiff and reasonable consumers reasonably believe, define, and assume that tortilla chips labeled as having a “hint of lime”… contain some quantity of actual lime,” the class action asserts.

“Unbeknownst to Plaintiff and members of the Class at the time of their purchase, and contrary to the express representations made on Defendant’s front label, the Product, which claims to contain a “Hint of Lime”, actually contains no lime at all.”

Ortega claims Frito-Lay’s advertising and marketing campaign is false, fraudulent, deceptive, and misleading, and that customers were tricked into paying a premium for the product.

He’s suing under California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law. He also brings claims for breach of express warranty and unjust enrichment. 

Ortega is seeking certification of the class action, damages, interest, fees, costs and a jury trial. 

Frito-Lay has faced a similar class action lawsuit before.

In October, a consumer filed a class action lawsuit against the company, taking issue with it using pictures of cheddar cheese and sour cream on its “Baked Lays Cheddar & Sour Cream Flavor” Ruffles chips. She claimed the picture implies to consumers that the company is using natural flavors. The lawsuit was dropped in January. 

Do you expect ‘Hint of Lime’ tortillas to contain a hint of lime? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Jonathan Shub and Kevin Laukaitis of Shub Law Firm, LLC and Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates, P.C. 

The Frito-Lay Hint of Lime Class Action Lawsuit is Ortega et al., v. Frito-Lay North America, Inc, Case No. 2:21-cv-06849-ODW-GJS, in the U.S. District Court Central District of California

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