Barilla class action alleges company ‘tricks’ customers into thinking pastas made in Italy

Barilla Italy pasta class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Paula Salouras filed a class action lawsuit against Barilla America Inc. 
• Why: Salouras claims Barilla misleads consumers into falsely believing that its pasta products are produced in Italy. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in the circuit court of Cook County, Illinois. 

Barilla America Inc. deliberately misleads consumers into falsely believing its Barilla brand pasta products are made in Italy, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Paula Salouras claims Barilla prominently represents that its Barilla brand pasta products are “ITALY’S #1 BRAND OF PASTA®” so consumers will believe they are made in Italy. 

Salouras argues the Barilla pasta products are not manufactured in Italy, but instead in Iowa and New York, and that they contain ingredients that are primarily sourced from countries other than Italy. 

“Defendant sought to take advantage of consumers’ desire for authentic Italian pasta, while cutting costs and reaping the financial benefits of manufacturing the Products in the United States of America,” the class action states. 

Salouras wants to represent an Illinois class of consumers who purchased a Barilla pasta product for personal purposes since Jan. 1, 2018. 

Barilla reinforces alleged misrepresentation by including national flag colors, class action says

Barilla reinforces the representation that its pasta products are manufactured in Italy by replicating the country’s national flag’s colors of green, white, and red around its statement of “ITALY’S #1 BRAND OF PASTA®,” the Barilla class action alleges. 

“Defendant’s branding and packaging of the Products is designed to — and does — deceive, mislead, and defraud Plaintiff and consumers like Plaintiff,” the Barilla class action states. 

Salouras claims Barilla is guilty of unjust enrichment and breach of express warranty and is in violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. 

The plaintiff is demanding a jury trial and requesting an award of compensatory damages for herself and all class members. 

A similar class action lawsuit was filed against Barilla last year by a consumer arguing the company falsely advertises its pasta products as being manufactured in Italy. 

Have you purchased a Barilla pasta product you believed had been manufactured in Italy? Let us know in the comments. 

The plaintiff is represented by Peter S. Lubin and Patrick Austermuehle of Lubin Austermuehle PC, and Bruce W. Steckler of Steckler Wayne Cherry & Love PLLC. 

The Barilla Italy pasta class action lawsuit is Salouras, et al. v. Barilla America Inc., Case No. 2023CH01397, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. 

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