Woman files class action lawsuit against Frito-Lay for marketing genetically-modified snacks as 'all natural'

Thursday, January 05, 2012 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: Frito-Lay, GMO, class action lawsuit

(NaturalNews) Many major food manufacturers have been on a kick to jump on the "all natural" bandwagon, with all sorts of processed food products now claiming to be healthy and free of artificial and synthetic ingredients. However, one such company, Frito-Lay, is the subject of a new class action lawsuit that pegs the company for illegally marketing its snack products, which are loaded with genetically-modified (GM) ingredients, as being natural.

Represented by Milberg LLP of Los Angeles, Calif., Julie Gengo of Richmond, Calif., recently filed a class action lawsuit against Frito-Lay alleging that its snack products are fraudulently labeled. Frito-Lay Sun Chips and Tostitos products are made with GM vegetable oils and potentially even GM corn, but they are both labeled as being "All Natural." But GMOs are not all-natural ingredients, and are, in fact, admittedly synthetic, which makes any product that contains them unnatural.

Named in the lawsuit are Tostitos Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips, Tostitos Bite Size Rounds Tortilla Chips, Tostitos Crispy Rounds Tortilla Chips, Tostitos Multigrain Tortilla Chips, Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips, Tostitos Restaurant Style with a Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips, Tostitos Artisan Recipes Fire-Roasted Chipotle Tortilla Chips, Sun Chips Original Flavored Multigrain Snacks, Sun Chips Garden Salsa Flavored Multigrain Snacks, Sun Chips French Onion Flavored Multigrain Snacks, and Sun Chips Harvest Cheddar Flavored Multigrain Snacks.

"Each of the products that are the subject of this action contain corn and vegetable oil as their main ingredients. But the corn and vegetable oils (including corn, soybean, and canola oils) are made from genetically modified plants and organisms," says the lawsuit. "Monsanto Company defines GMO on its website as food with a genetic makeup altered to exhibit traits that are not naturally theirs."

The lawsuit alleges Frito-Lay's marketing practices violate two California Business & Professions Codes, a California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, and the federal Magnuson - Moss Act, as well as constitute a breach of express warranty. It includes as a plaintiff anyone who has ever purchased a Frito-Lay product labeled "All Natural."

You can view a copy of the lawsuit here (http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/12/15/Frito.pdf).

If you are interested in joining the lawsuit, or filing one of your own, Milberg LLP invites all potential litigants to fill out a GMO claim evaluation
(http://cases.milberg.com/genetically-modified-organisms/).

Sources for this article include:

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/12/15/Frito.pdf