Ziploc Class Action Says Storage Bags Don’t Provide ‘Superior Protection’

Ziploc Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Errika Brown alleges S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. misrepresents the quality of some of its Ziploc storage bags.
• Why: Ziploc bags are allegedly misrepresented as offering better protection than other plastic storage bags available on the market.
• Where: The lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court.

S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. is facing a class action lawsuit alleging it misrepresents the quality of some of its Ziploc storage bags to dupe consumers into thinking the bags offer better protection than its competitors’ products.

Plaintiff Errika Brown filed the Ziploc class action lawsuit on Jan. 2, claiming that certain representations on the Ziploc products are intended to mislead consumers into believing the storage bags are of superior quality than competing products.

Ziploc Class Action Challenges ‘Stronger’ Claims

For example, the Ziploc class action lawsuit points to a claim in the upper right corner of the gallon slider bag with “Power Shield Technology” that indicates the Ziploc storage bag is “STRONGER* THAN HEFTY” and underneath in smaller print clarifies: “ON PUNCTURES & TEARS.”

The asterisk leads consumers to a disclaimer on the back of the box that states: “Bag film tested using ASTM D1709 Dart Drop and ASTM D2582 PPT.” Both of these tests are allegedly standard test methods and are not relevant to customers’ use of the Ziploc bags, the lawsuit says.

Brown asserts that consumers are unlikely to connect the prominent statement on the front of the package with the disclaimer on the back and will instead “expect the Product to be made with the most resilient plastic, contain the strongest seal possible, will expand the most and keep out all air.”

The statements on the Ziploc package are false and misleading because competing products provide similar protection, the Ziploc class action lawsuit alleges.

Class Action: Ziploc Misleads Consumers About ‘Unbeatable Freshness’

The plaintiff also asserts that the defendant makes false claims about the “Unbeatable Freshness” associated with its “Grip ‘n Seal Technology” used in some of its Ziploc products. 

This claim is allegedly based on a moisture loss test, which Brown says is misleading because moisture loss is only one way that a product can spoil. The test allegedly does not provide any insight into the bag’s protection against other types of spoilage, such as freezer burn.

“The claim of unbeatable freshness is misleading because it misleads consumers who do not know advanced chemistry about food preservation to think its Product will be useful in all circumstances, when it will not,” the lawsuit states.

Brown asserts that the Ziploc bags are sold at a premium price based on these misleading claims, and that if she and the other members of the proposed class had known the truth about the product’s effectiveness, they would not have purchased it or paid less for the product.

What do you think about the allegations that Ziploc bags are misleadingly marketed as superior to competing products? Let us know in the comments section below!

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

The Ziploc Bags Class Action Lawsuit is Errika Brown v. S.C. Johnson & Son Inc., Case No. 3:22-cv-50001, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division.

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