Eggland’s Best class action says co. makes false claims about ‘Cage Free Eggs’

Eggland’s Best class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Plaintiff Peter Meyer Reimer filed a class action lawsuit against Eggland’s Best Inc. and Eggland’s Best LLC. 
• Why: Reimer claims Eggland’s Best mistreats the hens that lay its “Cage Free Eggs,” despite representations to the contrary.
• Where: The Eggland’s Best Cage Free Eggs class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court.

Eggland’s Best misrepresents how it treats the hens that lay the company’s Cage Free Eggs, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

“Eggland’s makes specific representations on the packaging of its Cage Free Eggs and on its website about how the hens laying Cage Free Eggs are treated,” plaintiff Peter Meyer Reimer’s class action lawsuit claims. These representations include statements like, “[e]very hen selected by Eggland’s Best Cage Free Eggs is free to roam in a pleasant, natural environment,” is “in an open, comfortable barn environment keeping them happy and healthy,” and is treated “humanely.”

“None of this is true,” the Egglands Best class action lawsuit says. 

Reimer claims several sources of evidence show Eggland’s Best is “utterly failing” to meet the needs of hens or to provide “pleasant, natural environments.” 

“Visual evidence from Defendants’ suppliers shows conditions completely inconsistent with the known needs hens have, the environments natural to them, and the conditions conducive to their happiness,” the Eggland’s Best class action says. 

Reimer wants to represent a nearly nationwide class and Illinois subclass of consumers who purchased Eggland’s Best Cage Free Eggs within the U.S. but outside of California during the class period. 

Eggland’s Best knows consumers will pay more for cruelty-free eggs, class action claims

Reimer argues Eggland’s Best falsely represents that it treats its hens humanely because it knows consumers are willing to pay more for eggs laid by well-treated hens. 

“Eggland’s is aware, and takes advantage of, the fact that conscientious consumers are willing to pay a premium for eggs supposedly made with less cruelty,” the Eggland’s Best cage-free eggs class action says. 

Reimer claims Eggland’s Best is guilty of violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of monetary, actual, statutory and punitive damages for himself and all class members. 

This is not the first time the egg producer has been hit with a class action lawsuit. Earlier this year, a consumer filed a separate Eggland’s Best class action lawsuit over claims the company falsely advertises that its eggs have less saturated fat than other egg brands. 

Have you purchased Eggland’s Best Cage Free Eggs? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by P. Renée Wicklund of Richman Law & Policy. 

The Eggland’s Best class action lawsuit is Reimer, et al. v. Eggland’s Best Inc., et al., Case No. 1:24-cv-11311, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

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