Missing avocado oil in Campbell's chips creates class action crunch
A California woman has filed a class action lawsuit against the Campbell’s Co. over its potato chip brand, questioning whether the snack’s advertised use of avocado oil is a misrepresentation. (Photo from Diana Heiland’s Aug. 18 lawsuit)
A California woman has filed a class action lawsuit against the Campbell’s Co. over its potato chip brand, questioning whether the snack’s advertised use of avocado oil is a misrepresentation.
Diana Heiland of Fresno, California, said in the suit filed Tuesday she purchased Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Sea Salt With a Hint of Pink Peppercorn Potato Chips, thinking that they were a healthier alternative to chips prepared with seed oils.
Heiland and others in the suit said they faced an economic injury when they paid more for a product that did not have the premium ingredient and the benefit that it claimed, according to coverage by Courthouse News Service.
“Every sample of every product was classified as compositionally inconsistent with authentic avocado oil,” Heiland’s suit said, referencing a published July study conducted by food scientists who tested the chips ingredients.
The suit alleges that Campbell’s violated California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, its Unfair Competition Law and its False Advertising Law. Heiland is requesting that a federal judge certify a nationwide class and a California subclass to declare that Campbell’s violated the statutes. The suit further asserts that the company manufactures, sells, distributes and markets the potato chips, and it’s responsible for packaging, which includes the claim, “Made With Avocado Oil.”
A spokesperson said Campbell’s does not comment on pending litigation.
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
