In a filing filed May 30 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the plaintiff’s attorney, Diana Lozano, argued that despite claims on product packaging that the bars “contain no artificial flavors” and are “naturally flavored,” lab tests have proven They contain DL-malic acid, which is an artificial flavor Newsweek.
The lawsuit seeks $9,999,000 in damages from customers who purchased the product over the past four years, and alleges that Aldi’s packaging violated several California laws and caused the company to be “unfairly enriched.”
The lawsuit concerns Millville Fruit & Grain’s low-cal cereal, which comes in a variety of flavors, including apple, strawberry, and raspberry. In the lawsuit, it was alleged that Aldi misled and defrauded consumers by marketing and labeling products in order to extract additional profits.
An independent third party investigation confirmed that the malic acid used by the defendant in these products – or DL-malic acid – was produced artificially. The legal action was filed “on behalf of all California consumers who purchased the products since May 30, 2019,” and the suit calls for a jury trial, according to plaintiffs.
The suit includes seven counts against Aldi US, including four alleged violations of the California Business and Professions Code, one violation of the California Consumer Compensation Code, and breach of an express warranty that the seller provided to the buyer with respect to a product.
(Cover photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
