Trader Joe’s Class Action Says Poultry Packages Contain Too Much Water

A class action lawsuit claims that packages of Trader Joe’s branded raw poultry products include too much retained water.

The Trader Joe’s raw chicken class action lawsuit was filed by Christina Webb, who says she purchased Trader Joe’s chicken from multiple locations in California.

According to Webb, the amount of retained water is far greater than what’s advertised on packages of Trader Joe’s All Natural Boneless Chicken Breasts, Trader Joe’s All Natural Chicken Thighs, and Trader Joe’s All Natural Chicken Wings.

Webb says that the poultry packaging claims to contain only five percent retained water, but actually contains as much as 16 percent excess retained water.

The Trader’s Joes class action states that the amount of water exceeds what is legally allowed in the products’ net weight.

The Trader Joe’s chicken class action lawsuit says that after sampling and analyzing Trader Joe’s chicken products offered for sale in supermarkets in Northern California, it was found that Trader Joe’s raw chicken packages were routinely and consistently misbranded and “economically adulterated” as a result of the excess retained water.

The Trader Joe’s poultry class action lawsuit claims that Trader Joe’s violated several California consumer protection laws including the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Song-Beverly Act.

Allegedly, all of these incorporate the requirements of the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act by reference, or incorporate requirements identical to them.

Webb says that the Trader Joe’s branded poultry packages are in breach of express and implied warranties the way they are labeled and sold. She also says that Trader Joe’s sale of them constitutes theft by false pretenses under California law.

Trader Joe’s knew or should have known that the poultry contained too much water, the plaintiff states.

Webb says that she was financially injured by the inclusion of the excess water weight because she paid the marked, per-pound price for excess retained water, and not for chicken.

Allegedly, had she known that the product contained too much water, she would not have paid as much for the chicken, or would not have purchased it at all.

The Trader Joe’s class action claims that many other customers were similarly financially injured by the mislabeled poultry.

Webb seeks damages on behalf of herself and other similarly affected consumers. She also seeks an injunction compelling Trader Joe’s to cease the packaging and distribution of mislabeled chicken, re-label existing deceptively packaged poultry, and to conduct a corrective advertising campaign informing customers of the deceptive practices.

Webb is represented by Ronald A. Marron, Michael T. Houchin, and Lilach Halperin of the Law Offices of Ronald A. Marron APLC.

The Trader Joe’s Excess Poultry Water Content Class Action Lawsuit is Christina Webb v. Trader Joe’s Company, Case No. 3:19-cv-01587-CAB-WVG, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, County of San Diego.

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