Two customers have filed a lawsuit against Costco, accusing the store of falsely advertising that a popular food item contains ‘no preservatives’ while claiming that it indeed does.
Earlier this week, Apple began issuing payments to users as part of a class action lawsuit regarding allegations that Siri was eavesdropping on conversations.
Although the tech giant denies these allegations, a spokesperson mentioned that Apple decided to settle the lawsuit ‘to avoid additional litigation’.
Now, two women in California have brought forward accusations against Costco, alleging violations of false advertising laws related to their Kirkland rotisserie chicken.
According to a report from USA TODAY, the lawsuit, filed in California and Washington—where Costco’s headquarters is located—alleges that the product displayed a prominent ‘no preservatives’ label on the front, even though the ingredient list on the back, written in much smaller text, indicated the presence of two preservatives.
The preservatives in question are sodium phosphate and carrageenan.
Healthline notes that sodium phosphate is used to retain moisture and enhance texture, while carrageenan is also used for texture improvement and increasing shelf-life—both are approved by the FDA.
The lawsuit includes an image of an in-store advertisement claiming the product contains ‘no preservatives, no artificial flavors or colors, no MSG, and no gluten’.
The plaintiffs also assert that Costco engaged in unfair competition by participating in ‘unfair business acts and practices’, misleading consumers into purchasing or paying more for its rotisserie chicken based on false advertising.
This lawsuit is a proposed class action, aiming to represent all customers who purchased the $4.99 rotisserie chicken.
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages, although the amount has not been specified.
The final outcome of the lawsuit will ultimately determine the next steps.
Despite pursuing legal action against Costco, the plaintiffs expressed intentions to continue purchasing their rotisserie chicken in the future.
One of the plaintiffs, however, emphasized the need for Costco’s preservative-related claims to be accurate and consistent with the product’s ingredients.
Costco informed USA TODAY on Wednesday (January 28) that the ‘no preservatives’ signage has been removed.
“To maintain consistency among the labeling on our rotisserie chickens and the signs in our warehouses/on-line presentations, we have removed statements concerning preservatives from the signs and on-line presentations,” they stated.
“We use carrageenan and sodium phosphate to support moisture retention, texture, and product consistency during cooking.
“Both ingredients are approved by food safety authorities.”
Costco has been contacted for comment.