Traeger Grills Class Action Says Wood Pellets Contain Flavored Oil

A class action lawsuit alleges that Traeger Pellet Grills LLC sells cheap wood pellets infused with oils, passing them off as more expensive woods prized in grilling.

Plaintiff Michael Yates says he purchased Traeger wood pellets for grilling and discovered that the pellets were not actually made of the wood advertised.

Yates says that he is an enthusiastic amateur griller who carefully selects the wood with which he grills. He states that the different woods provide his food with different flavors.

According to Yates, he purchased both the Texas Beef Blend Pellets and the Mesquite BBQ Wood Pellets on multiple occasions.

The Traeger Grill class action states that the advertisements expressed that the Mesquite BBQ pellets were composed of 100 percent mesquite wood and the Texas Beef Blend Pellets also contained real mesquite wood.

However, Yates claims that when he grilled with the Mesquite BBQ Wood Pellets and the Texas Beef Blend Pellets, the flavor did not reflect mesquite wood.

He says that he then called Traeger’s customers service to inquire about the wood, at which point he was told that the Mesquite pellets were actually comprised of 100 percent alder or oak and no mesquite wood, and that mesquite oil was added to those woods to flavor them. 

The Traeger wood pellets class action lawsuit alleges that Traeger misrepresents the type of wood in many of its pellet varieties. The plaintiff claims that the company uses less expensive woods in place of more expensive woods and uses oils to make the woods smell like their more expensive counterparts.

The Traeger mesquite wood pellets class action lawsuit explains that wood pellets are used in the grilling process to give the meat being grilled a certain smokey flavor. Allegedly, grilling has become more popular in the last decade and an industry has sprung up around this popularity.

Wood pellets are reportedly used in more luxury grilling and are sought after by grillers. The Traeger false advertising class action lawsuit notes that for many people passionate about grilling, the type of pellets that they use are essential because different types of wood imparts different flavors.

As a result, many grillers are allegedly willing to pay a premium for high quality, grilling wood pellets. Traeger reportedly is aware of this preference and exploits customers’ preference for high-quality wood in the interest of its profits.

The Traeger pellet class action lawsuit says that Traeger knew customers had no choice but to rely on the advertisements and labeling of the wood pellets and intentionally sold customers a lower-quality product than what was advertised.

Do you seek out grilling pellets made out of a particular wood? Let us know in the comments below.

Yates is represented by Jared D. Scott and Heather M. Sneddon of Anderson & Karrenberg; and by Karl S. Kronenberger, Jeffery M. Rosenfeld, and Liana W. Chen of Kronenberger Rosenfeld LLP.

The Traeger Grilling Pellets Class Action Lawsuit is Michael Yates v. Traeger Pellet Grills LLC, Case No. 2:19-cv-00723-DBP, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah.

UPDATE: On Jan. 23, 2020, Traeger Pellet Grills asked a judge to dismiss a class action lawsuit claiming that the company misrepresents its wood pellets as expensive mesquite grilling woods when in reality, they are 100 percent alder or oak with mesquite oil flavoring added.

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