Judge dismisses Quaker Oats Simply Granola false advertising class action

Update: 

• An Illinois federal judge ruled the Quaker Oats Co. does not need to face a class action lawsuit alleging it misrepresents its Simply Granola products as containing only simple and healthy ingredients.
• On Dec. 2, U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang filed an order dismissing the complaint, stating three consumers who sued the company had an “unreasonable and fanciful” interpretation of the granola products’ label. 
• The plaintiffs allege they bought the granola because they thought it contained only oats, honey, raisins and almonds, when it also contains sugar, insulin and vegetable oils. 
• However, Judge Chang says granola isn’t the kind of food that has a “designated and agreed upon ingredient list” that customers should reasonably expect.

Quaker Oats class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Three plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit against the Quaker Oats Company.
• Why: Quaker Oats allegedly misrepresents that its SIMPLY Granola products contain only a few healthy ingredients when they contain a “litany” of less-desirable ingredients.
• Where: The Quaker Oats class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court.

(Nov. 7, 2022)

The Quaker Oats Company misrepresents its SIMPLY Granola products as containing only simple and healthy ingredients, enticing consumers to pay a premium for the product, according to a Quaker Oats class action lawsuit filed Nov. 2 in Illinois federal court.

Plaintiffs Donna Campobasso, Anthony Civitano and Alfonzo Farfan claim they each purchased SIMPLY Granola products based on the labels’ representation that they contained a select few ingredients.

For example, the SIMPLY Granola — Oats, Honey & Almonds product lists those three specific ingredients, and the front label depicts images of oats, a honey dipper and shredded almonds. 

Similarly, the SIMPLY Granola — Oats, Honey, Raisins & Almonds product allegedly lists only those four ingredients and includes imagery of oats, a honey dipper, raisins and shredded almonds.

The plaintiffs say they relied on the representations on the front label of the SIMPLY Granola products and believed they contained only the ingredients listed, according to the class action.

Quaker Oats class action says SIMPLY Granola contains ‘litany’ of ingredients not shown on label

The class action lawsuit claims the SIMPLY Granola labels are false and misleading because the products “consist of a litany of other ingredients including wheat, sugar, insulin and inflammatory vegetable oils.”

The product name itself suggests to consumers that SIMPLY Granola products contain simple ingredients, and the image on the front label of only those select few ingredients supports that representation, the Quaker Oats class action lawsuit says.

Consumers increasingly look for products with minimal ingredients because of the documented health benefits associated with clean eating, the plaintiffs explain. They point to numerous complaints on Amazon.com from consumers who were disappointed to find out that the product is not as healthy as the label suggests.

The plaintiffs allege they paid a premium for the SIMPLY Granola products because they believed they contained a few clean ingredients. Had they known the granola product contained less desirable and inflammatory ingredients, they would not have paid as much for the products, or would not have purchased them at all, according to the Quaker Oats class action lawsuit.

Earlier this year, a separate Quaker Oats class action lawsuit alleged the company falsely represented that its granola bars contain no artificial preservatives.

Have you purchased Quaker Oats SIMPLY Granola because you thought it contained only a select few ingredients? Tell us what you think of the class action lawsuit in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Robert Abiri of Custodio & Dubey LLP.

The SIMPLY Granola class action lawsuit is Donna Campobasso, et al. v. The Quaker Oats Co., et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-06043, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

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