A federal judge dismissed a $5 million class action lawsuit against Kraft Heinz, in which consumer Amanda Ramirez accused the company of deceptive marketing regarding the preparation time of its microwavable macaroni and cheese.
Judge Beth Bloom ruled that Ramirez lacked standing to pursue the lawsuit or demand changes to Kraft Heinz’s packaging. Ramirez objected to the packaging claiming that the macaroni and cheese would be “ready in 3-1/2 minutes” because it failed to account for the time needed to remove the lid, add water, and stir in the cheese sauce pouch.
However, Judge Bloom noted that Ramirez never claimed she couldn’t eat the product or even attempted to cook the Velveeta Shells & Cheese she purchased.
Furthermore, the judge found no evidence of a potential future injury since Ramirez now understands that the 3-1/2 minutes only refer to the microwave cooking time, as clearly stated on the packaging.
Ramirez argued that the product was sold at a premium price of $10.99 for eight 2.4-ounce cups, and she wouldn’t have purchased it if she had known the accurate preparation time.
Nonetheless, the court sided with Kraft Heinz, and neither Ramirez’s lawyers nor the company and its legal team immediately responded to requests for comment.
