Food For Life Baking Class Action Says ‘Ezekiel’ Cereal is Misrepresented

A recent class action claims that the Food For Life Baking Company makes misleading claims about the nutritional content of their Ezekiel 4:9 cereal products.

Ezekiel cereal is often sold from third parties or online, and is reportedly advertised with “The Live Grain Difference” slogan.

The brand’s name is derived from the Bible, specifically Ezekiel 4:9, and labels often note: “As described in the Holy Scriptures: Take also unto thee Wheat and Barley and Beans and Lentils and Millet and Spelt and put them in one vessel and made bread of it.”

The cereals are advertised as better than other grain products by claiming that they are made from “sprouted organic live grains, legumes, and seeds, and contain absolutely no flour.”

According to the Ezekiel cereal class action, sprouted grains are grains or seeds which have been soaked in water, causing them to “sprout.” Ezekiel cereal allegedly represents sprouted grains as containing more vital nutrients than other cereal products, making them better.

According to brand representations, sprouting is the “only way to release all of the vital nutrients stored in whole grains.”

The process reportedly increases the nutritional value of the grain and “promotes a more efficient assimilation of protein and carbohydrates.”

The Ezekiel cereal class action claims that sprouting helps create a more delicious and more nutritious product.

Although Ezekiel cereal allegedly built their brand around the idea that their sprouted grains products are more nutritionally beneficial then other grain product, this class action lawsuit claims that the brand fails to provide reasonable evidence that their statements are true.

“The Products do not contain any reference food upon which the relative claims are based, which is misleading because there is no way to accurately evaluate the statements regarding the higher nutritional values of sprouted grains compared to non-sprouted grains,” the Ezekiel cereal class action lawsuit claims.

Plaintiff Ronnie Elliott argues that the sprouting process does not actually increase the nutritional value of the grains. The process reportedly decreases carbohydrates, resulting in more nutrients relative to the overall mass but does not increase the actual quantity of nutrients.

Elliott argues that the use of phrases such as “only way,” “more” and “difference” are meant to portray Ezekiel cereals as the best possible products.

Combined with their representations about the nutritional content of the products, this language allegedly misleads consumers into believing that they will be receiving exceptional nutritional gains through the use of the products.

According to the Ezekiel cereal class action, studies show that more consumers are seeking out foods with better nutritional value that have been processed through natural methods such as sprouting.

Ezekiel cereal allegedly takes advantage of this consumer trend by portraying their products as rich in nutrients but the company fails to back those claims up.

Elliott seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased Ezekiel cereal products as well as a Class of the same consumers from New York.

The Ezekiel cereal class action lawsuit seeks monetary damages, punitive damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Elliott and the proposed Class are represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC and Joshua Levin-Epstein of Levin-Epstein & Associates PC.

The Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Cereal Class Action Lawsuit is Elliott v. Food For Life Baking Co. Inc., Case No. 1:19-cv-00249, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.