[ad_1]
CNN
–
The label on Velveeta’s microwaveable mac and cheese cup says it only takes three and a half minutes to cook. But a Florida woman says that’s false — and she’s suing the manufacturer for $5 million.
Amanda Ramirez, of Hialeah, has filed a proposed $5 million class-action lawsuit against Kraft Heinz Foods Company, alleging that the food maker’s Velveeta Shells & Cheese takes longer to cook than advertised, according to court documents.
Attorneys for Ramirez filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Nov. 18, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit says the packaging for the microwaveable single-cup mac and cheese, which says it will be “ready in 3½ minutes,” is “false and misleading.”
The product instructions say to microwave the mug for 3½ minutes. But Ramirez’s attorneys argue that number doesn’t account for the other four steps required to cook the pasta: removing the lid and sauce bag, adding water, microwaving and stirring, according to court documents. The extra steps mean it’s impossible for the mac and cheese to be ready in just three and a half minutes, according to the complaint.
Kraft Heinz Foods Company dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous” in a statement.
“We are aware of this frivolous lawsuit and will vigorously defend against the allegations in the complaint,” a Kraft Heinz Foods company representative told CNN on Monday.
The lawsuit alleges that Kraft is unfairly benefiting from the false advertising on the cups, especially because consumers trust the well-known brand to be honest with them.
Ramirez’s lawyers argue that the company is selling the product at a “substantial price premium” while using its “misleading” marketing of “ready in 3½ minutes,” which instantly catches the eye of any reasonable consumer.
Customers are paying more than they otherwise would for the three-and-a-half-minute claim, the suit says.
Ramirez “is like many consumers trying to get the most bang for their buck when shopping for groceries,” the complaint said. But because of the claim of the time, he “paid more for the product than he would have paid and would not have bought or paid less if he had known the truth.”
In addition to $5 million in damages, the plaintiff is also seeking punitive damages from Kraft Heinz Foods Company and asking the company to “require it to cease the deceptive advertising” as well as “engage in a corrective advertising campaign,” according to the lawsuit. documents.
CNN has reached out to Ramirez’s attorneys for further comment.
[ad_2]
Source link
