Class Action Lawsuit Claims Simple Truth Fruit & Grain Bars Falsely Advertised as Preservative-Free

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A proposed class action lawsuit claims Kroger’s Simple Truth-brand Fruit & Grain Bars are falsely advertised as containing no preservatives given they contain the common food preservative citric acid.

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According to the 20-page lawsuit, although The Kroger Co. produces, markets, distributes and sells its Simple Truth Fruit & Grain Bars in various flavors with claims of “no preservatives” on the packaging, the bars’ jelly fruit filling contains citric acid, which is listed as a preservative by the United States Food and Drug Administration and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Citric acid, per the complaint, is commonly added to fruit, fruit sauces and jellies in order to preserve the products by lowering their pH level.

The complaint argues that reasonable consumers rely upon food packaging claims to relay truthful information regarding the contents of the product and do not expect these claims to be false, fraudulent or misleading.

Additionally, the Simple Truth fruit bars allegedly cost approximately 1.5 times that of competing products without organic and preservative-free claims, which the complaint argues has caused increased monetary losses for consumers who purchased the Simple Truth Fruit & Grain Bars based on the false “no preservatives” representations.

Even worse, the case says, the allegedly fraudulent claims have deprived consumers of both the choice to control what sorts of food products they ingest and the potential health benefits of avoiding consuming preservatives.

The class action lawsuit against Kroger seeks to represent anyone in the U.S. who purchased one of the Simple Truth Fruit & Grain Bar products within four years prior to May 2, 2025 and until the date of class certification. Learn all about the legal process: What is a class action lawsuit?