On behalf of several named defendants and “all others similarly situated,” Don Barrett, a Mississippi lawyer leading the legal charge against food manufacturers, says ConAgra “deceives unsuspecting Californians into purchasing food products that contain undisclosed substances such as liquefied petroleum gas, propane, butane” and other chemicals and artificial ingredients in violation of federal statutes and California's Sherman Law, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Specifically, ConAgra's PAM cooking spray lists “propellant” as an ingredient. While its label and marketing bill the spray as “100% Natural,” its material-safety data sheet lists the gases—an omission that “deprives consumers of any ability to choose” to limit or avoid these ingredients.

Additionally, Barrett says ConAgra's Hunt's canned tomatoes are marketed as all-natural when they contain ingredients the FDA has said precludes the use of a term such as “natural” in advertising and labeling.

The manufacturer's Swiss Miss Cocoa product is also mislabeled because of claims it contains antioxidants, which are not disclosed—nor is there any scientific proof of its benefit, the suit contends.

In an email sent to NU, a spokesperson for ConAgra says: “While we don't comment on pending litigation, ConAgra Foods stands behind the accuracy of our labeling and has a long-established commitment to marketing our food responsibly.”

Special Reports /

Cooking With Gas: Pending Cases Against PAM, Other ConAgra Products

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