Quaker Oats Must Face Deceptive Advertising Class Action Lawsuit

A federal judge has ruled that Quaker Oats Company must face a class action lawsuit filed in Illinois that claims that Quaker lured consumers into paying top-dollar prices for its “wholesome heart-healthy” oatmeal and granola products, when in reality the products contain unhealthy trans fats.  According to the Quaker Oats class action lawsuit, Quaker has engaged in a marketing campain to mislead consumers about the nutritional and health qualities of its products since 2006.  Specifically, Quaker states on its packages that its products contain “O grams trans fat,” are “wholesome” and “heart healthy,” and constitute nutritious “smart choices made easy.”  These descriptions are misleading, says the Quaker class action lawsuit, because in reality the products contain highly unhealthy, unwholesome artifical trans fat and the lawsuit cites studies finding that dietary trans fats contribute to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  Quaker tried to dismiss the class action lawsuit on the grounds that its products contained “insignificant levels of trans fats,” rendering the Plaintiff’s claims for injury as hypothetical and not a real injury.  The court disagreed, ruling that “regardless of whether the Plaintiff was physicially harmed by the products he consumed, the complaint alleges that he would not have purchased them absent the allegedly misleading statements that the products did not contain trans fats. The attorneys at Balkan & Patterson, LLP are experienced in class action litigation and will act to protect consumers against corporate wrongdoers. If you believe you have potential for a class action, please contact us immediately and we will review your case at no charge.

The law firm of Balkan & Patterson, LLP was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, at 601 S. Federal Highway, Suite 302, with offices in Broward County. Mr. Balkan and Mr. Patterson can be contacted at (561) 750-9191. Additional information about Balkan & Patterson, LLP may be obtained from the firm’s website at www.balkanpatterson.com.