Ritz class action claims product falsely advertises ‘real cheese’

Ritz class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Joseph Fischetti filed a class action lawsuit against Mondelez Global LLC.
• Why: Mondelez allegedly misrepresents its Ritz Bits Cracker Sandwiches as being made with real cheese even though the primary filling ingredient is not cheese.
• Where: The Ritz real cheese lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

Mondelez Global LLC deceptively markets its Ritz Bits Cracker Sandwiches as being made with real cheese even though the primary ingredient of the sandwich filling is not cheese, according to a recent class action lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims the ingredient list’s fine print lists whey and sugar before cheddar cheese powder and asserts consumers do not understand whey to be a required ingredient in a “real cheese” product.

“Whey is the watery liquid which remains when curds are strained from milk to produce ‘real cheese,’” the Ritz lawsuit says.

Whey lacks the milkfat and other proteins, vitamins and minerals contained in real cheese and is therefore not an ingredient consumers desire when seeking products made with real cheese, according to the class action lawsuit.

Plaintiff alleges he relied on Ritz’s claims of ‘real cheese’ when purchasing product

Plaintiff Joseph Fischetti claims he is like most consumers and looks for indulgent food products that are known to have health benefits, like real cheese. Before purchasing the Ritz real cheese product, he says, he reviewed the label, which indicates the filling is made with real cheese and depicts two wedges of cheddar cheese.

Based on the product’s front label representations, Fischetti alleges, he expected the predominant component of the cheese-flavored filling to be real cheese and not whey.

He says he paid more for the Ritz “real cheese” product than he would have if he had known the filling mostly consisted of whey, a lesser quality cheese substitute.

The Ritz class action lawsuit asserts claims for violating sections of New York business law that protect consumers against unfair and deceptive practices.

Fischetti filed the Ritz lawsuit on behalf of himself and a proposed class of New York residents who purchased Ritz Bits Cracker Sandwiches advertised as having a “filling made with real cheese” in New York during the applicable statute of limitations.

A consumer recently hit Mars Wrigley Confectionery US LLC with a similar class action lawsuit alleging its Combos Cheddar Cheese Baked Pretzel Stuffed Snacks are deceptively labeled as being made with “real cheese.”

What do you think about the allegations that Ritz real cheese claims are false and misleading? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Fischetti is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC.

The Ritz real cheese class action lawsuit is Joseph Fischetti v. Mondelez Global LLC, Case No. 2:24-cv-01135, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Central Islip.

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