Kraft Heinz Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Preservatives in Mac & Cheese

While Kraft Mac & Cheese may be a pantry staple across the U.S., parent company Kraft Heinz is now embroiled in a class action lawsuit over the iconic boxed comfort food.

Kraft Heinz’s Motion To Dismiss Class Action Denied

According to Reuters, a federal judge has ruled that Kraft Heinz must face a proposed class action lawsuit related to company claims that Kraft Mac & Cheese contains “no artificial flavors, preservatives or dyes” — claims which U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland deemed plausible enough to deny Kraft Heinz’s motion to dismiss.

“These allegations are enough to withstand a motion to dismiss,” Rowland wrote.

Plaintiffs From 3 States Claim Preservatives Present in Kraft Mac & Cheese

The plaintiffs — from California, Illinois, and New York — claim that Kraft Mac & Cheese contains “a synthetic form of citric acid that differed from the natural variety, and also contained sodium phosphates,” Reuters detailed.

Arguing that these ingredients are in fact serving as preservatives, which contradicts the claim prominently labeled on boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese, the plaintiffs allege that Kraft Heinz is defrauding customers in doing so.

In its motion to dismiss, Kraft Heinz responded to the above claims by stating that there were no “factual allegations” that it included artificial ingredients in its Mac & Cheese product — or that reasonable consumers would perceive the ingredients included as artificial.

Rowland did concur with Kraft Heinz on one subject: that plaintiffs lacked standing on a demand for new product labels, as they are now familiar with the alleged deceptive marketing and therefore exempt from risk of future harm.

Kraft Heinz Responds

Per a report from Global News, Kraft Heinz issued a statement on Nov. 14 reiterating its support for the iconic boxed mac and cheese product, one which is nearly synonymous with the brand.

“We stand fully behind our product and are proud of its quality,” the company stated. “We strongly believe that this lawsuit has no merit and look forward to our day in court.”

According to the Kraft Heinz website, more than 1 million boxes of its Mac & Cheese are sold in the U.S. every day.