Quaker Oats class action alleges products contain high levels of pesticide 

Quaker Oats class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Lilian Fitzgerald filed a class action lawsuit against The Quaker Oats Co.
• Why: Quaker Oats allegedly sells oat-based products that contain dangerously high levels of the pesticide chlormequat.
• Where: The Quaker Oats lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

The Quaker Oats Co. sells oat-based products that contain dangerously high levels of the pesticide chlormequat, a Quaker Oats class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Lilian Fitzgerald says she has purchased several Quaker Oats products and believed that they would be free of dangerous chemicals. If she had known the products may have contained chlormequat, she says she would not have purchased the products or would have paid significantly less for them.

Chlormequat is a pesticide used to control plant size by blocking hormones that stimulate growth, the Quaker Oats lawsuit explains.

Animal studies have shown chlormequat to disrupt fetal growth and cause reproductive system damage, public health nonprofit organization the Environmental Working Group said.

Quaker Oats pesticide content may pose health risks, plaintiff claims

The Environmental Working Group says 30 parts per billion is the most chlormequat a person can ingest per day without facing potential health risks, the lawsuit says.

However, the lawsuit says, lab testing has shown some Quaker Oats products contain up to 300 parts per billion of chlormequat.

The lawsuit says the following products tested positive for chlormequat: 

• Quaker Simply Granola Oats Honey & Almonds
• Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
• Quaker Oatmeal Squares Honey Nut
• Quaker Oatmeal Squares Brown Sugar
• Quaker Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar
• Quaker Chewy Dark Chocolate Chunk

“No reasonable consumer would expect that a product would contain dangerous pesticides,” the lawsuit says. “Reasonable consumers believe products they purchase are safe for oral ingestion and expect the ingredients listed accurately reflect what is within the product.”

Fitzgerald filed the lawsuit on behalf of herself and a proposed class of consumers who purchased certain Quaker Oats oat-based products in the United States during the applicable statute of limitations period.

The Quaker Oats class action lawsuit asserts claims for violations of sections of New York General Business Law, breach of implied warranty and unjust enrichment.

Quaker Oats was recently hit with a separate class action alleging the company sold products that may have been contaminated with salmonella.

Are you concerned about the alleged Quaker Oats pesticide content in some of its products? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Fitzgerald is represented by Joshua D. Arisohn and Caroline C. Donovan of Bursor & Fisher PA.

The Quaker Oats pesticide class action lawsuit is Lilian Fitzgerald v. The Quaker Oats Co., Case No. 7:24-cv-01235, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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