SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – A San Francisco woman is suing a food company over claims it falsely advertises its Parmesan cheese products.
Samantha Lewin, individually and for all others similarly situated, filed a class-action lawsuit Feb. 18 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Kraft Heinz Foods Co., alleging violations of California's Consumer Legal Remedies Act, its Unfair Competition Law, and its False Advertising Law.
The suit states Kraft Heinz advertises its certain Parmesan cheese products as "100 percent grated Parmesan cheese." However, according to the suit, independent laboratory testing allegedly shows that these products are not 100 percent Parmesan, but in fact contain significant amounts of adulterants and fillers.
The suit alleges that at least 3.8 percent of these products consist of cellulose, a filler and anti-clumping agent derived from wood pulp.
Lewin and others in the class seek compensatory and punitive damages, interests, restitution and other forms of equitable monetary relief, injunctive relief, attorney fees, and other costs of the suit. They are represented by attorneys Scott A. Bursor, L. Timothy Fisher, Annick M. Persinger and Yeremey Krivoshey of Bursor & Fisher in Walnut Creek, California.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Case number 3:16-CV-00823-MEJ