Dive Brief:
- H.J. Heinz Co. is the target of a lawsuit filed in California federal court over the company's claims of using no trans fat in the Ore-Ida brand of fries and tater tots, while the products allegedly contained dangerous levels of partially hydrogenated oil.
- "Up until now, the feds' trans-fat labeling policy has been that manufacturers can round down to zero if the product has under 0.5 grams. Heinz has a Nutrition Facts box and a label on the front that state '0g trans fat per serving,' and Backus argues that it's bogus," Grub Street reports. This regulation is now under fire since the FDA mandated food companies to eliminate partially hydrogenated oils — the main source of artificial trans fats — in 3 years last week.
- The lawsuit demands that all mislabeled Ore-Ida Easy products are destroyed, punitive damages at an amount not currently set, and a "corrective" campaign conducted by Heinz.
Dive Insight:
Several other major food companies are already the targets of similar lawsuits. Earlier this month, ConAgra Foods was hit with a lawsuit over its "0g trans fat" claim made on the label for its Crunch 'n Munch caramel popcorn brand.
In May, a California plaintiff filed lawsuits against General Mills Inc. and Nestle USA Inc., both dealing with trans fats. Nestle is accused of false advertising on the label of its Coffee-Mate creamers, which read "0g trans fat" while allegedly containing dangerous levels of partially hydrogenated oil. General Mills escaped the false advertising claim, but was also hit with the claim that the company could have used a healthier option in its baking mixes. On June 2, before the FDA banned trans fats, General Mills claimed partially hydrogenated oils were safe to consume, and on June 8, the company filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.