Class Action Lawsuit Claims Target Falsely Advertises Good & Gather Veggie Straws

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges Target has falsely advertised its Good & Gather Veggie Straws given that the supposedly preservative-free products contain synthetic chemical preservative calcium chloride.

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According to the 15-page lawsuit, Target’s labeling of its Good & Gather Veggie Straws is misleading to consumers, many of whom actively seek products free of synthetic chemicals. The complaint states that the veggie straws, touted as containing no artificial flavors, synthetic colors or preservatives, in fact contain calcium chloride, a synthetic preservative.

The complaint relays that calcium chloride fits the FDA’s definition of a chemical preservative and is moreover considered a synthetic ingredient, as “each of the three commercial production methods for producing calcium chloride require synthetic chemical reactions to produce commercial quantities.”

The lawsuit goes on to state that Target also sells competing veggie straw snack products that similarly advertise themselves as containing no artificial or synthetic ingredients and in fact “exclude calcium chloride or any other identifiably synthetic preservatives.”

The plaintiff contends that he and other proposed class members were deprived not only of their “legally protected interest to obtain true and accurate information about consumer products” but also of “their choice to buy competing products that delivered the benefits [they] sought.”

Ultimately, the lawsuit claims that Target “knew or should have known that calcium chloride retards the deterioration of food products and is therefore a chemical preservative.”

The plaintiff is an Illinois resident who claims to have purchased Good & Gather Veggie Straws under the impression that they were free of artificial and synthetic ingredients. The case says the consumer did not understand that the snack contained a preservative given that “he does not have an advanced understanding of chemistry,” and could not have known the veggie straws contained a preservative based on Target’s label claims at issue.

“As a result of Defendant’s fraudulent labeling, Plaintiff and the Class paid a price premium for premium Products, but instead received non-premium products,” the class action suit summarizes.

This false advertising lawsuit seeks to represent all United States residents who have bought Target’s Good & Gather veggie straws in the last 5 years.

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