New York judge dismisses Kellogg's Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts lawsuit
The judge said Kellogg's labeling described Pop-Tarts' flavor instead of the source of that flavor
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A federal judge in Manhattan has dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing Kellogg Co. of using misleading labeling to exaggerate the amount of strawberries in its Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts.
In a Thursday night decision, U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter said reasonable shoppers would not expect strawberries to be the main ingredient in a "pre-packaged, processed sugary treat called Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts."
Boxes of Pop-Tarts sit for sale at the Metropolitan Citymarket in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The judge said Kellogg's labeling described Pop-Tarts' flavor instead of the source of that flavor, and shoppers like plaintiff Kelvin Brown of Bronx, New York, could check the ingredient list to resolve any confusion.
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Carter also rejected the idea that Pop-Tarts buyers missed out on the health benefits of strawberries.
"A reasonable consumer is unlikely to purchase a toaster pastry coated in frosting exclusively for the nutritional value of strawberries in its fruit filling," he wrote.
Image of Kellogg's strawberry Pop tarts. (Newscast/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
A lawyer for Brown had no immediate comment on Friday. Kellogg and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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Last month, a federal judge in Chicago dismissed a similar lawsuit over unfrosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts, saying Kellogg did not guarantee how many strawberries it would use.
The Battle Creek, Michigan-based company is also being sued over its Whole Grain Frosted Strawberry and Frosted Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts.
A Kellogg Co. Pop-Tarts brand toaster pastry is arranged for a photograph in Tiskilwa, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Lawsuits over false labeling are common, and many are unsuccessful.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan dismissed a lawsuit accusing Mondelez International Inc (MDLZ.O) of deceiving purchasers of "Stoned Wheat Thins" into thinking the snack cracker contained stone-ground whole wheat flour.
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The case is Brown v Kellogg Sales Co, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 20-07283.