Two California mothers are suing General Mills, claiming the giant food company has deceptively marketed its Nature Valley products as natural when they contain highly processed ingredients. The women are seeking to turn the suit into a class action that would win the profits the company has made selling the Nature Valley line that contains such ingredients.
Amy McKendrick, one of the mothers, reportedly says that she really only wanted to make other parents aware that products they were buying to avoid dyes and processed ingredients for health reasons may not be as pure as they thought, based on what they read on packaging. This is the latest case in a number of lawsuits that have been filed lately against General Mills, accusing the company of using deceptive advertising for its products. Currently, there are no legal requirements or restrictions for using the label “natural” on foods, and it can be a meaningless marketing term, but consumers nevertheless tend to value it.