Goya class action says products falsely labeled as USA-made

Goya class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Nyree Sepian filed a class action lawsuit against Goya Foods Inc.
• Why: Sepian claims Goya misrepresented that some of its products were made in the United States.
• Where: The Goya class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

A new class action lawsuit claims Goya Foods Inc. falsely labeled some of its products as being made in the United States when they actually contain foreign ingredients.

Plaintiff Nyree Sepian filed the class action complaint against Goya on Feb. 21 in California federal court, alleging violations of state consumer laws.

Sepian claims in the lawsuit that Goya falsely marketed its Yuca Cassava Chips and other products, such as seasonings and cooking sauce, as a “Product of USA” despite containing foreign ingredients, such as cassava, plantains, black pepper and turmeric.

Sepian says she purchased Goya’s Yuca Cassava Chips on Amazon in January 2024, relying on the “Product of USA” label displayed in product photos.

Goya products contain foreign ingredients, plaintiff alleges

Sepian claims she believed the chips were made entirely in the United States with domestic ingredients, especially since they were food products.

However, she alleges she later discovered that the chips contained cassava, which is not grown in commercial quantities in the United States.

The lawsuit argues that Goya’s “Product of USA” claims were misleading and violated both federal and state laws regarding country-of-origin labeling.

Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Made in USA rule, a product can only be labeled as “Made in USA” if all or virtually all of its components are made and sourced in the United States.

Sepian alleges Goya’s labeling practices misled consumers into believing they were purchasing products made entirely in the United States, leading them to pay a premium price or choose Goya’s products over competitors. Other products named in the class action lawsuit include Goya Adobo seasoning, Goya Sazonador Total seasoning and Goya Sofrito cooking sauce.

Sepain claims she would not have purchased the chips had she known they contained foreign ingredients.

The Goya class action lawsuit seeks to represent all California consumers who purchased Goya products labeled as “Product of USA” within the last four years.

Sepian is suing for violations of California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law, as well as breach of express warranty, unjust enrichment and negligent and intentional misrepresentation.

She seeks certification of the class action, damages, restitution, public injunctive relief and a jury trial.

In recent similar cases, a new class action lawsuit alleges Pure Leaf tea products are falsely advertised as “Brewed in USA,” while Olaplex has agreed to a class action settlement to resolve claims it falsely advertised its hair products as “Made in the USA.”

What do you think of the allegations made in this Goya class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.

Sepian, et al. are represented by Abbas Kazerounian and Pamela E. Prescott of Kazerouni Law Group APC.

The Goya class action lawsuit is Sepian, et al. v. Goya Foods Inc., Case No. 2:25-cv-01512, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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