Harris Teeter is facing a lawsuit accused of ‘deceivingly labelling’ one of its cereal bars, and details have been sought regarding whether any of the bars have been recalled. Despite the lawsuit, it has been learned that no product recalls were issued by the Food and Drug Administration.
The lawsuit has been instituted against the company in the US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. The lawsuit alleges that Harris Teeter had labelled its fruit cereal bars as “Naturally Flavored with Other Natural Flavors.” However, only artificial flavours were used, and the lawsuit seeks certification of class action.
“Consumers depend on food manufacturers to tell the truth about the characteristics of their products while making decisions about which products to buy and consume,”
Products Contained Synthetic Ingredients
The lawsuit based its allegations on tests conducted on the mixed berry cereal bar at an independent laboratory, Kruger Food Laboratories in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. The tests revealed that the product contained ‘DL-malic’ acid, which is an artificially made compound. The compound is not natural and is a synthetically prepared form of malic acid and is used in the food industry as a flavor enhancer, acidity regulator, and preservative.
The lawsuit claimed,
“(DL malic acid) is not derived from a fruit or vegetable or any other natural source, but rather from a petroleum substrate,”
The lawsuit also alleged that the product contravened the FDA’s mandatory requirements that artificially flavoured products be clearly mentioned on the labels to make the consumers aware.
Harris Teeter has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
