Iris USA class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Valentina Mallozzi filed a class action lawsuit against Iris USA Inc.
- Why: Mallozzi claims her kitten suffocated after climbing into an Iris airtight pet food container she purchased on Amazon, alleging the product’s latch design traps small pets inside.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Pennsylvania federal court.
A new nationwide class action lawsuit claims Iris USA manufactures pet food containers that pose a suffocation risk to pets.
Plaintiff Valentina Mallozzi filed the class action complaint against Iris USA on Oct. 22 in Pennsylvania federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.
According to the class action lawsuit, Iris USA’s Airtight Pet Food Containers, which are equipped with a downward-swinging latch, have a defect that allows pets to open the container, climb inside, and become trapped, leading to suffocation.
“The defect has caused the death of pets, including Plaintiff’s kitten,” the class action lawsuit says.
Mallozzi alleges her 3-lb. kitten, Ace, suffocated inside the container in July after managing to lift the lid, climb in, and become trapped once the door automatically shut and latched. She says she purchased the Iris cat food and dog treat storage container combination on Amazon earlier this year, relying on the product’s representations that the containers were safe for pets and designed to “keep paws out.”
The Iris USA class action further alleges that, “Other pet deaths have been reported on the internet. As such, Iris Containers are not fit for their intended purpose, unreasonably dangerous to pets and worthless.”
The class action lawsuit points to additional complaints posted in a Facebook group called “Prevent Pet Suffocation,” where other pet owners reported losing their kittens in similar incidents involving the same type of container.
Pet food containers not fit for intended purpose, lawsuit claims
Mallozzi claims that Iris USA manufactures and advertises the containers in the United States as safe and high-quality. She argues that before manufacturing, advertising and selling the containers, Iris USA failed to take appropriate steps to ensure the products were safe for their intended use.
The class action also states that Iris markets the latch as a safety feature—claiming it will keep pets from accessing food — yet the design allegedly enables pets, especially curious cats, to nudge open the lid and become trapped once it rebounds and relocks. Because the containers are airtight, pets can suffocate within minutes, according to the class action lawsuit.
The plaintiff claims Iris USA knew or should have known the containers were defective and not suitable for use around small pets. She also claims the containers are so dangerous as to not be fit for their intended purpose.
Mallozzi wants to represent anyone in the United States who purchased an Iris USA pet food container.
She is suing for strict liability, failure to warn, negligence, breaches of implied warranties and unjust enrichment. She is seeking certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.
In other per-related news, Nationwide is facing allegations that the insurer canceled pet insurance policies for older pets despite promising consumers it would never drop pets from coverage due to age.
What do you think of the claims made in this Iris USA class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Steven A. Schwartz and Alex M. Kashurba of Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP.
The Iris USA pet food container class action lawsuit is Mallozzi v. Iris USA Inc., Case No. 2:25-cv-06035, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
- Class action lawsuit says egg producers blamed bird flu to hide price-fixing scheme
- 10.5M records exposed: Conduent faces massive litigation over the 8th largest healthcare data breach in U.S. history
- New Visa Mastercard settlement expected to save merchants more than $200 billion in card fees, ending two decades of antitrust litigation
- Class action accuses U-Haul of deceptive ‘drip pricing’ that hides fees
