Quaker Oats Class Action Says Oatmeal Contains Harmful Pesticide

The Quaker Oats Company Inc. faces a class action lawsuit in California federal court alleging that their products contain glyphosate, a harmful pesticide product.

Plaintiff Morgan Steckler alleges that Quaker Oats products are made from wheat contaminated by glyphosate, a broad spectrum pesticide commonly sprayed on crops.

Modern consumers are becoming more and more conscious of their food. Food with heavily processed ingredients, artificial additives, and GMOs are unattractive to consumers and many companies have gone to great lengths to ensure their customers of the quality of their products.

Quaker Oats products are allegedly advertised as being made with “100% Whole Grain” and verified “NON GMO” ingredients.

The Quaker Oats class action lawsuit states that company markets their products as providing “Lasting Energy,” “can help reduce cholesterol,” and “may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

“The Product Health Representations lead reasonable consumers to believe the Products will foster their ‘good health’ and not pose a safety risk to or potentially harm their health,” the Quaker Oats class action claims.

Despite these assurances, Quaker Oats products are allegedly unsafe and contain glyphosate, a powerful weed killing pesticide found in products such as Roundup.

Recent testing conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) allegedly showed that Quaker Oats products contain glyphosate which is commonly sprayed on crops before harvest.

The Quaker Oats class action claims that the Quaker Oats cleaning process fails to rid the products of glyphosate residue, so the pesticide stays in the products through production.

Not only is glyphosate a pesticide not fit for human consumption, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has reportedly determined that the chemical is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

“Because it is a probable carcinogen with no nutritional value, the presence of any amount of glyphosate in the Products, no matter whether above or below regulatory limits, is material to reasonable consumers,” the Quaker Oats class action argues. “No reasonable consumer would purchase the Products knowing that they contained glyphosate.”

Steckler aims to hold Quaker Oats accountable for selling an allegedly dangerous product containing the pesticide glyphosate which is classified as a probable carcinogen.

He claims that selling their products with glyphosate is deceptive, fraudulent behavior and is a violation of consumer protection laws including California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

Steckler seeks to represent a multi-state Class of consumers who purchased Quaker oats products during the applicable statue of limitations in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Washington.

The plaintiff also seeks to represent a Class of the same consumers only from California, who are protected under state-specific laws.

The Quaker oats class action lawsuit seeks restitution, disgorgement, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Steckler and the proposed Class are represented by Patricia N. Syverson, Manfred P. Muecke, Elaine A. Ryan, and Carrie A. Laliberte of Bonnett Fairbourn Friedman & Balint PC; and Stewart M. Weltman, Todd L. McLawhorn, and Michael Chang of Siprut PC.

The Quaker Oats Class Action Lawsuit is Steckler v. Pepsico Inc., et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-09211-DDP-AFM, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.