FLINT, Mich. (Legal Newsline) – Kroger’s smoked gouda was never smoked, despite claims on its packaging that it contains the “distinctive” flavor, a class action lawsuit says.
Plaintiffs Janet Avigne and Lauren Morgan filed suit Aug. 13 in Michigan federal court against Kroger for using smoke flavor when making the gouda instead of actually smoking it. Their lawyer is Spencer Sheehan.
“While ‘smoke flavor’ may be convenient, it fails to supply the rich, layered combination of phenols and other odor-active compounds compared to where a food’s taste is derived entirely from being smoked over wood,” the suit says.
“In the past two decades, consumers have increasingly embraced smoked foods, as made without advanced chemistry and synthetic additives.”
Consumers are tricked into buying the gouda or paying more than they would have had they known it wasn’t smoked, the suit says.