Halls class action claims sugar-free honey lemon-flavored lozenges make false, misleading claims

Halls lozenges class action overview: 

• Who: A Halls sugar-free honey lemon-flavored lozenge consumer sued Mondelēz Global.
• Why: The plaintiff says manufacturer Mondelēz Global falsely markets the lozenges. 
• Where: The Halls lozenges class action was filed in a New York federal court.

A Halls honey lemon-flavored lozenge consumer sued manufacturer Mondelēz Global, alleging the company falsely markets the lozenges. 

Plaintiff Joe Perugia filed the class action lawsuit against Mondelēz Global LLC on Jan. 20 in a New York federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws. 

According to the Halls class action, Mondelēz makes and sells sugar-free honey lemon-flavored lozenges under the Halls brand. The product is labeled as a cough suppressant and oral anesthetic based on its active ingredient of menthol, promising to “Relieve Coughs and Soothe Sore Throats.”

However, menthol is not curative, and its effects, such as depressing the nerves for pain, are short-lived, the lawsuit states.

“The representation that the Product ‘Soothes Sore Throats’ is false and misleading for multiple reasons,” the Halls lozenges class action states.

Lozenges only disclose important information in small print, Halls class action alleges

Mondelēz indicates in small print on the back label of the product that the product only “temporarily relieves” a sore throat, the lawsuit states.

Meanwhile, consumers viewing the “Honey Lemon Flavor” statement next to a honeycomb and wedge of lemon will expect an adequate amount of honey and lemon ingredients in the product, according to the Halls lozenges class action.

“However, the ingredient list fails to indicate any real honey or lemon,” the lawsuit states.

Perugia seeks to represent a New York class of consumers who bought the lozenges, plus a consumer fraud multistate class of consumers from South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi, Arkansas, South Carolina and Utah. 

The plaintiff sued for violations of state consumer laws, breach of warranty, fraud and unjust enrichment and seeks certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial. 

In related news, a consumer hit Ricola with a class action lawsuit alleging it misleadingly represents that its green tea with echinacea throat drops gets its cough suppressant abilities from green tea and echinacea when their active ingredient is actually menthol. 

What do you think of the allegations in this Halls lozenges case? Let us know in the comments! 

Perugia is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates P.C. 

The Halls class action lawsuit is Joe Perugia et al., v. Mondelēz Global LLC, Case No. 5:23-cv-00069-MAD-TWD, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. 

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