Paul Tassin  |  November 2, 2016

Category: Consumer News

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cream-of-wheat-instant-hot-cereal-maple-brown-sugarA class action lawsuit claims a variety of Cream of Wheat instant hot cereal is falsely advertised as containing maple brown sugar.

Plaintiff Michael Horton of California is bringing this claim against B&G Foods Inc. and B&G Foods North America, the makers of Cream of Wheat Instant Hot Cereal Maple Brown Sugar.

Horton says the product does not actually contain any “maple brown sugar” or any other maple ingredients.

According to Horton, maple syrup and maple sugar are considered “premium products” that are preferred over other kinds of sweeteners.

For that reason, consumers are willing to pay more if they believe the product they’re buying contains genuine maple syrup or maple sugar.

Horton says the defendants exploit that preference by falsely representing that its instant Cream of Wheat contains “Maple Brown Sugar.”

Consumers who buy this product pay a premium for it, in reliance on the representation that it contains the premium ingredient they want. But the actual product is not what they’ve been reasonably led to expect, Horton claims.

An image copied into Horton’s Cream of Wheat class action lawsuit shows the front of a Cream of Wheat box. The labeling shows an image of a bottle of what appears to be maple syrup, and the words “Maple Brown Sugar” appear prominently across the front of the box.

The practice of labeling products as containing maple-based ingredients has also gotten the attention of members of the maple products trade. In a letter to the FDA, the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association points out that this practice allows cheaper products to compete unfairly with those that contain actual maple syrup.

Horton says he bought a box of Cream of Wheat Instant Hot Cereal Maple Brown Sugar from a store in Los Angeles County. He says he reasonably relied on the representations on the box that led him to believe the product contained maple ingredients.

Had he known that the product did not actually contain maple syrup or maple sugar, Horton says he either would not have purchased it or would have paid less for it.

Horton’s Cream of Wheat class action lawsuit alleges B&G violated California’s False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and the Sherman Food, Drug and Cosmetic Law. Horton also raises a common law claim for fraudulent inducement.

If certified, Horton’s proposed nationwide Class will represent all persons who bought Cream of Wheat Instant Hot Cereal Maple Brown Sugar from four years before the filing of this action through the date of Class certification.

He is asking the court to order B&G to stop representing that their products contain maple syrup or maple sugar. He also seeks an award of damages, restitution of profits received via the allegedly deceptive advertising, court costs and attorneys’ fees, all with pre-judgment interest.

Horton is represented by attorney Gerald B. Malanga of Lattie Malanga Libertino LLP.

The Cream of Wheat Maple Ingredients Class Action Lawsuit is Michael Horton v. B&G Foods Inc., et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-06638 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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74 thoughts onCream of Wheat Class Action Says Cereal Doesn’t Contain Maple Syrup

  1. Yogi says:

    I BEEN BUYING THIS FOR YEARS 3 OR MORE BOXES A MONTH DURNING THE WINTER TIME. but ALL YEAR LONG MY KIDS AND I EAT cof w/ bs. I would like to get in on this lawsuit.

    1. Top Class Actions says:

      The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!

  2. Joanie says:

    Please keep me updated.

  3. Tammie Perry says:

    My kids and I love cream of wheat for many many years count me in. I want to get in on the claim as well.

  4. Jean Conlon says:

    I would like to be part of this class action law suite

    1. Top Class Actions says:

      The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!

  5. RICHARD WYMAN JR says:

    Count me in !!!

  6. Swaglady rb says:

    I love cream of wheat what… would like to know more info

  7. greg haas says:

    Please include me in this class action lswsuit

    1. Top Class Actions says:

      The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!

  8. Jennifer Fortune says:

    I have been buuing this for years and still do please add me also to the settlement.

  9. barbara spieler says:

    it boggles my mind that the large companies that you should be able to rely on, are the first ones to screw “joe public”. please let me know where and when to sign up.

  10. Amy Beaulieu says:

    Love cream of wheat and this is one of my favorite flavors been eating it for years, how can I get in on this suit.

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