Utz Claim Settled in “All Natural” Class Action Lawsuit

Utz Quality Food has settled and will pay more than $1 million for a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging that the snack foods produced by the company are improperly labeled as coming from “all natural” ingredients.

Misleading marketing and confusing language on foods have become the target of many investigations and lawsuits in recent years. As consumers look for more healthy and organic options in the marketplace, the words used by marketers are becoming increasingly important.

All Natural Class Action Lawsuit Alleges False Advertising by Utz

When a consumer discovers that the marketing materials on a product are not accurate, he or she can file a class action lawsuit.

The Utz all natural class action lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts Federal Court. The suit was originally started in 2014. The settlement agreement has been amended after a recent hearing.

False advertising can be raised by any consumer who believes a company is not being forthcoming with truthful information about how a product is made or what’s inside it. The case in question is an all natural class action lawsuit because consumers discovered that synthetic ingredients were used in addition to “all natural”ones.

The plaintiffs allege false advertising on the part of the manufacturer of the snack foods and the settlement resolution calls for class certification, but does not require Utz to accept liability.

The trio of plaintiffs allege in the Utz all natural class action lawsuit that the company prominently advertises a broad range of snack foods as all natural, including their honey wheat pretzel sticks, restaurant-style tortillas and regular potato chips.

The products named in the Utz all natural class action lawsuit actually contained corn oil, yellow corn, vinegar, white corn, cottonseed oil, modified corn starch, maltodextrin, corn syrup, modified food starch, and soy lecithin.

The plaintiffs allege that these are all generated from man-made genetically modified crops, according to the Utz false advertising lawsuit claims; however, the class action lawsuit alleged that the products’ labeling might mislead a consumer to purchase or pay a premium for products they believe not to be made of synthetic or artificial ingredients.

The lawsuit goes on to state that the manufacturers include numerous artificial and synthetic ingredients such as potassium chloride, dextrose, malic acid, and citric acid in the Utz products they label as natural. 

Utz claims that the disputed products are natural, however, the plaintiffs went on to argue that consumers would perceive all natural foods as healthier, more wholesome and better and pinpoints the company as being responsible for trying to mislead consumers into making a purchase decision based on the misleading and false information.

The Utz all natural class action lawsuit is DiFrancesco et al v. Utz Quality Foods Inc., Case No. 1:4-CV-14744 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

If you believe you have grounds to pursue a false advertising lawsuit, you need to consult with the experienced attorneys at Bradley/Grombacher today- fill out the form on this page to determine if you qualify. 

Note: Bradley/Grombacher is not representing the plaintiff in this lawsuit.