Chobani Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over 'Zero Sugar' Yogurt Labeling
A federal appeals court has ruled that Chobani must face a proposed class-action lawsuit over its labeling of yogurt as "zero sugar." The plaintiffs argue the company misled consumers by including four grams of allulose, a natural sweetener classified under FDA regulations as total sugars. According to the ruling from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, Chobani's claim violates state consumer protection laws because its product exceeds the FDA threshold for "zero sugar" labeling (less than 0.5 grams per serving). The court rejected Chobani’s argument that allulose is not a sugar and emphasized the validity of an FDA brief supporting this classification. The plaintiffs, James Franco and Abigail Franco, claim they would have either avoided purchasing or paid less for the yogurt had they known about its actual sugar content. While Chobani maintains its labeling is accurate based on nutritional facts showing 0g total and added sugars, it has been ordered to return to a lower court in Chicago for further proceedings.