Ventura County and Santa Barbara County district attorneys have filed a civil lawsuit against Kroger, one of the nation’s largest supermarket chains, alleging deceptive marketing.
The Ventura County Prosecutor’s Office
The Kroger Co., which operates in California as well-known stores such as Ralph’s, Food 4 Less and Foods Co., is alleged to have violated the state’s false advertising and unfair competition laws over the labeling of its Carbmaster bread products, according to a joint statement from both districts. lawyers.
The lawsuit alleges that from approximately November 2018 through at least June 2022, Kroger advertised on the front of the package of Carbmaster Wheat and Carbmaster White breads that each product contained 30 calories per slice, when they were said to contain at least 50 calories , according to the statement.
Additionally, the complaint alleges that “on an unknown date prior to June 2022, Kroger falsely advertised Carbmaster’s calorie count on both the front of the package and on the back FDA nutrition label,” according to the statement, which also alleged that Kroger continues to falsely advertise Carbmaster’s calorie counts. product with a lower number of calories on some websites.
“Consumers rely on nutritional information to make important decisions about their personal health and well-being,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “For some consumers, these decisions are based on medical necessity. False calorie advertising can mislead or even endanger consumers, and it provides an unfair advantage over competitors who advertise in accordance with FDA guidelines.”
The case is being jointly investigated by the consumer protection units of both DA offices.
“Consumers have a right to accurate information about products, especially calorie information about foods,” said Santa Barbara District Attorney John Savrnoch. “My office is committed to protecting the public by enforcing the False Advertising Act and the Unfair Competition Act, and we are grateful to prosecute this case with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.”
KCAL News has contacted The Kroger Co. for comment, but haven’t heard back yet.
