Olive Oil Class Action Lawsuit Raises False Advertising Claims

An olive oil class action lawsuit has been filed against the Bertolli company, which is responsible for producing and marketing a line of olive oil products.

According to the olive oil class action lawsuit, the company had put allegedly false marketing statement on their products including “Imported from Italy” or “Extra Virgin” when these neither of these claims are true. Bertolli has been producint olive oil products for  over 150 years, and they are now sold in grocery stores throughout the country.

Even though this company has become widely known in the consumer population, it is currently facing an olive oil class action lawsuit for allegedly using false marketing claims to sell their products.

Overview of Olive Oil Class Action Lawsuit

Deolo USA Inc. and Med Foods Inc. are the primary defendants facing the olive oil class action lawsuit, with consumers alleging the companies had intentionally misled customers to believe their products were higher quality than they actually were. Consumers who purchased these products say they chose them due to marketing claims that these products were “Extra Virgin” olive oil, or that the products were made entirely from Italy.

The companies reportedly did this by putting marketing claims like “Imported from Italy” or “Extra Virgin”, to entice customers into purchasing the products. While the olive oil is blended in Italy, the ingredients are grown and pressed in different countries like Tunisia, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Chile, and Australia.

Certain media reports have suggested that due to 2014-2015 harvesting season being insufficient in Spain and Italy, Bertolli had been forced to outsource crops from different countries like Tunisia.

Deolo and Med Foods allegedly misrepresented their products to mislead customers into paying premium prices for their olive oil products. In addition, the olive oil class action lawsuit alleges the company compromised the quality of their “Extra Virgin” olive oil products by:

• Adding refined oil to olive oil labeled “extra virgin”
• Using clear, non-ultraviolet protective bottles that damages the oil due to being exposed to sunlight and heat, which causes the oil to oxidize and deteriorate in quality

“These inferior bottles, which are used by Defendants for all of their extra virgin olive oil, do not preserve the oil as ‘extra virgin.’ Rather, the oil degrades during shipping and while it sits on retailer shelves. Even if the oil is ‘extra virgin’ at the time of bottling, Defendants know that the oil will not qualify (and cannot be defined) as ‘extra virgin’ at the time it is sold to consumers,” the olive oil class action lawsuit stated.

Under federal marketing laws, companies cannot use deceptive statements to entice consumers to buy products or sell products at premium process. The olive oil class action lawsuit is seeking compensation for consumers who purchased Bertolli olive oil products during the proposed class action period, allegedly due to the fraudulent marketing statements.

An olive oil class action investigation is now being conducted that could provide compensation for many other consumers who bought Bertolli olive oil. This investigation applies to consumers who have purchased certain Bertolli olive oil products outside the state of California between May 23, 2010 and Aug. 15, 2015.

Specific products under investigation include the following oils that were not labeled as “Organic,” “Robusto,” “Gentile,” or “Fragrante”:

• Bertolli Classico Olive Oil
• Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil

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.

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