Quaker Oats Class Action Says Oatmeal Contains Pesticides

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The Quaker Oats Co. faces a class action lawsuit alleging its “100% Natural” oatmeal was made with oats that were treated with pesticides to boost harvest and keep the plants free of pests.

Plaintiff Sabrina Wheeler of Illinois alleges Quaker Oats advertises its oatmeal products as “100% Natural” and asserts that the oats are grown using “eco-friendly” methods that reduce the risk of groundwater contamination and other pollutants.

However, Wheeler says these claims are “false, deceptive, and misleading.”

According to the Quaker Oats class action lawsuit, Quaker Oats contain glyphosphate, an herbicide that the World Health Organization recently declared a probable human carcinogen.

Wheeler asserts that this dangerous chemical is not only used as an agricultural weed killer, but that it also makes its way into the so-called “natural” products because the synthetic biocide is sprayed on the oats as a drying agent prior to harvest.

“There is nothing unlawful about Quaker Oats’ growing and processing methods,” the Quaker Oats class action lawsuit states. “What is unlawful is Quaker’s claim that Quaker Oats is something that it is not in order to capitalize on growing consumer demand for healthful, natural products.”

Wheeler says she relied on the Quaker Oats’ representations on its product labels that indicated the Quaker Oats products are “100% Natural Whole Grain,” “Heart Healthy,” and “part of a heart healthy diet.” The products at issue in the false advertising class action lawsuit include: Quaker Oats Old-Fashioned, Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute and Quaker Steel Cut Oats.

According to the Quaker Oats class action lawsuit, no reasonable consumer who saw the ‘100% Natural’ label on the Quaker Oats packaging would expect the product to contain anything other than whole, rolled oats. Wheeler asserts that Quaker Oats deceives consumers about the nature of its products in order to sell more Quaker Oats, to charge higher prices for the products, and to take away market share from its competitors.

“Quaker intended for consumers to rely on its representations, and reasonable consumers did in fact so rely,” the Quaker Oats class action lawsuit alleges. “As a result of its false and misleading labeling, failure to warn, and omissions of fact, Quaker was able to sell Quaker Oats to hundreds of thousands of consumers throughout the United States and realize sizeable profits.”

A similar class action lawsuit was filed last month in New York over allegations that Quaker Oats falsely advertised its oats as “100% Natural” when they actually contain a probable carcinogen, as classified by the World Health Organization.

Wheeler filed the deceptive advertising class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and a Class of consumers who purchased Quaker Oats in Illinois. She’s seeking refunds for consumers who purchased the allegedly falsely advertised products and a court order requiring Quaker Oats to engage in a corrective advertising campaign to “inform the public of the true nature of Quaker’s carcinogen-contaminated oats.”

Wheeler is represented by Edward A. Wallace and Amy E. Keller of Wexler Wallace LLP, Kim Richman of the Richman Law Group, Beth Terrell of the Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC and John W. Barrett of Bailey & Glasser LLP.

The Quaker Oats 100% Natural Class Action Lawsuit is Wheeler, et al. v. The Quaker Oats Company, Case No. 1:16-cv-05776, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.