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Popular breakfast cereal Cocoa Puffs are being accused of containing dangerously high levels of lead. There were two federal lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages from its parent company, General Mills.
The class action lawsuit was filed by Mark Tobin in California and Dante Melendez and Destiny Morrisson in Minnesota. The plaintiffs seek a total of $5 million in damages from consumers who “would not have purchased and consumed (the cereal) if they had known the truth about the product.”
In the California lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege: A cup of cereal contains just under 0.5 micrograms of lead, the state's maximum limit. In the Minnesota lawsuit, the plaintiffs say:According to evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no known safe level of lead in the blood, as even very small amounts can be harmful to a child's developing brain.
“However, nearly all consumers are consuming significantly more than the recommended daily intake per serving of cereal,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit, filed in Minnesota, claims the company “failed to disclose that its products could cause addiction in consumers.”
General Mills said in a statement to Food Dive that it does not comment on pending litigation.
The complaint, filed in Minnesota, states that “other manufacturers manufacture, produce, and sell non-toxic chocolate cereals and bars, providing provably avoidable evidence of the poisoning risks inherent in Defendants' products.”
The lawsuit follows a recent report by George Washington University researchers that found some U.S. cocoa products contained levels of heavy metals that exceeded food safety guidelines.
that much This study was based on an analysis of 72 consumer cocoa products.Including dark chocolate. Researchers tested lead, cadmium, and arsenic contamination every two years for eight years. All of these heavy metals pose serious health risks when consumed in sufficient amounts.
The report said that for the average consumer, a single serving of these cocoa products is unlikely to pose a significant health risk, based on the median concentrations found.
However, for cocoa puffs, it may take much less time than that.
Also in 2023, Consumer Reports 'Concerning' Levels of Lead, Cadmium FoundHershey found heavy metals or both in 16 of the 48 chocolate products it tested, and specifically called on Hershey to reduce the amount of heavy metals in its products.
But it's been nearly a decade since shareholder advocacy group As You Sow discovered heavy metals in chocolate. brought the issue to the forefront In 2014.
“Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as a snack, just as they have been for centuries. Food safety and product quality remain our top priorities, and we remain committed to transparency and social responsibility,” Christopher Zindelsperger, senior vice president of public affairs and communications for the National Confectioners Association, said in a statement to Food Dive.
This isn't the first class action lawsuit filed against General Mills in recent years. In April, the company was accused of containing high levels of pesticides in its breakfast cereal staple, Cheerios. However, both lawsuits were dismissed shortly after they were filed.According to a report by the Star Tribune,
Food companies often face legal challenges when it comes to labeling, but the implications are even more serious when the product is aimed at young consumers, especially children.
In June, Lesser Evil, a snack company that advertises itself as “healthier,” said a Consumer Reports study found “concerning” amounts of lead in its Lil' Puffs products aimed at children.
