Bob Evans Hit With Class Action Over ‘No Artificial Preservatives’ Claim for Macaroni and Cheese

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Post Holdings, doing business as Bob Evans Farms, has been hit with a class action lawsuit that alleges the company’s macaroni and cheese products are misrepresented as containing no artificial preservatives.

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The 15-page false advertising lawsuit contends that the packaging for Bob Evans macaroni and cheese is misleading to consumers, as it clearly states that the product contains “no artificial preservatives” while failing to disclose that it contains synthetic sodium phosphate and lactic acid. Sodium phosphate salts extend the shelf life of food products by hindering bacterial growth, particularly for cheese, while the lactic acid in the Bob Evans mac and cheese also serves as an added preservative, the filing says.

The case alleges that Bob Evans made false representations about preservatives in its macaroni and cheese products and “coerced consumers to base their purchasing decision in material part on false claims,” which “fraudulently, deceptively, and unfairly” increased consumer demand for the product.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines the term chemical preservative as “any chemical that, when added to food, tends to prevent or retard deterioration thereof, but does not include common salt, sugars, vinegars, spices, or oils extracted from spices, substances added to food by direct exposure thereof to wood smoke, or chemicals applied for their insecticidal or herbicidal properties,” the lawsuit states.

The complaint further relays that consumers tend to believe products without artificial preservatives are “superior in quality” to those that do contain them, and are more likely to purchase items touted as preservative-free.

Consumers “expected to receive the benefit or avoid the negative potential effects of artificial preservatives,” the lawsuit claims, and Bob Evans allegedly deprived consumers of their interest in obtaining “true and accurate” information about the products they were purchasing.

The plaintiff, a California resident, purchased the Bob Evans macaroni and cheese from an Amazon Fresh store in September 2025, believing the representations on the packaging that it contained no artificial preservatives.

The Post Holdings class action lawsuit seeks to cover anyone in the United States who purchased Bob Evans macaroni and cheese within the last four years.

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