Bertolli Olive Oil Class Action Lawsuit Raises Mislabeling Claims

Many grocery stories carry the popular brand of “Italian” olive oil, Bertolli. But recently, a Bertolli olive oil class action lawsuit has been filed as some customers believe that they are not actually getting what they have paid for.

Bertolli is a company that has been around for over 150 years. It began in 1865 in the home of Francesco and Caterina Bertolli when they began selling olive oil. They have continued to sell olive oil, but also sell a myriad of other products as well.

Bertolli has several oils available for purchase in the United States, of which many contain the designation “extra virgin.” Their products are also “Imported from Italy,” according to the label.

Oil with the label “extra virgin” is the highest quality olive oil available. The term “virgin” has to do with how the oil is extracted from the olives. In a “virgin” extraction process, the oil is pressed from the olives. No heat or chemicals, supposedly, have been used in extra virgin or virgin olive oil. Additionally, extra virgin olive oil must also follow certain taste guidelines as well.

The Bertolli Olive Oil Class Action Lawsuit

A Bertolli olive oil class action lawsuit has been filed because customers believe the olive oil they are buying at premium prices is of lower quality than what they were led to expect.

Plaintiffs argue that with language on the label like “imported from Italy” and “extra-virgin,” a consumer can assume that the oil they are getting is made from Italian olives, pressed there in Italy and shipped to the United States. One call also gather from such a label that the “extra-virgin” process was done the correct way, with a single non-heat based extraction process.

However, Bertolli has been accused of several misrepresentations in this Bertolli olive oil class action lawsuit. According to the Bertolli olive oil class action lawsuit, Bertolli falsely and deceptively labeled their products as both “extra-virgin” and “imported from Italy.”

Allegedly, Bertolli olive oil including Bertolli Classico Olive Oil, Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil have been falsely and deceptively labeled. The plaintiffs in this Bertolli olive oil class action lawsuit claim that the company mixed other refined oils in with their “extra-virgin” oils. Because of this, the company cannot call their oils “extra-virgin,” they claim.

Also, according to this Bertolli olive oil class action lawsuit against Deoleo USA Inc. and Med Foods Inc., many olives used in Bertolli oils are not actually from Italy. In fact, the plaintiffs claim, they are made from olives grown in Tunisia, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Chile, and Australia.

Plaintiffs allege that not only are the olives not from Italy, but many believe the oils are actually pressed outside of Italy as well, shipped to Italy to be bottled, and then distributed. According to this Bertolli olive oil class action lawsuit, this is false and deceiving.

The plaintiffs believe that just because an oil is blended or bottled in a country does not mean that it should be able to carry the label “Imported from Italy.”

One news outlet suggests that perhaps a bad harvesting season in Spain and Italy in 2014-15 caused by bad weather and a bacteria that killed the olives, left companies like Bertolli no other option but to use crops from places like Tunisia, who had a bumper crop that year.

If you have purchased Bertolli olive oil outside of California between May 23, 2010 and Aug. 15, 2015, you may be eligible to join this Bertolli olive oil class action lawsuit.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

Learn More