Cheerios class action alleges products contain dangerous pesticide levels

Cheerios pesticide class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Katrina and Benjamin Necaise filed a class action lawsuit against General Mills Inc. 
• Why: The Necaises claim General Mills sold Cheerios-branded cereals containing dangerous levels of the chemical pesticide chlormequat chloride. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court. 

General Mills Inc. manufactured, marketed and distributed Cheerios-branded cereal containing dangerous levels of the chemical pesticide chlormequat chloride, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiffs Katrina and Benjamin Necaise filed the class action lawsuit, claiming independent lab testing revealed Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios and Oat Crunch Oats N’ Honey Cheerios contain dangerous levels of chlormequat chloride. 

Exposure to chlormequat chloride can cause adverse health effects, including reduced fertility, harmed fetuses, delayed puberty and impaired reproductive functions, the class action alleges. 

“All flavors of the products are sold for similar prices, are packaged in similar packaging, are manufactured using the same base formulation and contain unhealthy and unsafe levels of chlormequat,” the class action argues. 

The plaintiffs want to represent a class of California consumers who have purchased any of the aforementioned Cheerios products in the state within the last four years. 

Chlormequat does not appear in Cheerios’ ingredients list, class action claims

The class action lawsuit argues General Mills neither lists chlormequat in the ingredient section for the Cheerios-branded cereals nor warns consumers about the inclusion or potential inclusion of the pesticide in them. 

“Consumers, including plaintiffs, would not have purchased the products had their labels accurately disclosed the presence of chlormequat in Cheerios,” the class action states. 

The plaintiffs claim General Mills is guilty of unjust enrichment, breach of an implied warranty and violations of California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act. 

The plaintiffs demand a jury trial and request declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of actual, special, exemplary and punitive damages for themselves and all class members. 

A consumer filed a similar class action lawsuit against Quaker Oats earlier this month over claims the company sold oat-based products containing high levels of chlormequat. 

Have you purchased a Cheerios product in California? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Charles C. Weller of Charles C. Weller APC. 

The Cheerios pesticide class action lawsuit is Necaise, et al. v. General Mills Inc., Case No. 3:24-cv-00367, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

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