Lawsuit filed against PepsiCo’s Quaker Oats over 100% natural claims

PepsiCo’s Quaker Oats brand has been issued a lawsuit by US consumers over claims that its signature product is ‘100% Natural’.

Comprising consumers in California, Illinois and New York, the plaintiffs state Quaker Oats’s oatmeal contains glyphosate, a chemical that was declared as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization last year.

Farmers also use this herbicide to kill weeds, as well as a drying agent.

The consumers in the lawsuit claimed that while there is nothing illegal about the firm’s use of glyphosate, its claim of ‘100% Natural’ on label is deceptive, reported Bloomberg.

A complaint filed in the federal court of Brooklyn, New York, reads: "Quaker knows that consumers seek out and wish to purchase whole, natural foods that do not contain chemicals, and that consumers will pay more for foods that they believe to be natural."

The consumers expect the company to issue refunds. They have also sought class action status to the lawsuit.

PepsiCo’s three products, namely Quaker Oats Old-Fashioned, Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute, and Quaker Steel Cut Oats Sweet Almond Mint, are involved in the lawsuit.

In a statement to Fortune, the company said: "Quaker does not add glyphosate during any part of the milling process. Glyphosate is commonly used by farmers across the industry who apply it pre-harvest."

It also added that it cleanses the oats following delivery from farms, and any trace of glyphosate is negligible than the maximum permissible limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.