On its packets of Velveeta Shells & Cheese macaroni and cheese, the Kraft Heinz brand states that its pasta is ready in three and a half minutes. However, for American Amanda Ramirez, this information is misleading. With the help of several lawyers and many brand consumers across the country, a class action lawsuit was filed in early November against the company, reports NPR.
A breach of trust
In detail, Amanda Ramirez claimed that three and a half minutes was only the microwave cooking time. However, this is only one of the stages in the preparation of the product. You must first prepare the portion, and add water and stir, before putting everything in the microwave for 3 minutes 30 and finally adding the sauce. “It is therefore impossible for the product to be ready in just 210 seconds as indicated on the label,” the lawsuit argued.
In total, more than 5 million dollars in damages are requested from Kraft Heinz, due to the breach of trust allegedly caused. “We want companies on our continent to be upfront and honest in advertising their products,” said Will Wright, one of the attorneys on the case.
Disadvantaged competition
In the court documents, it is also possible to read that the company could have, thanks to this potentially misleading indication, sold more of its products, and at a higher price than the competition. In response, Kraft Heinz, which had hitherto enjoyed a good reputation in the United States, has already indicated that it “will strongly defend itself against the complaints”. A motion to dismiss could be filed in the coming weeks.
For her part, Amanda Ramirez has specialist lawyers at her side. In particular, she was able to obtain the services of Spencer Sheehan, a lawyer who has already filed hundreds of lawsuits for misleading claims in advertising and food packaging.