Consumers in New York and California sued PepsiCo Inc.’s Quaker Oats for false advertising.
They claim the brand’s signature product contains a possible carcinogen that is not listed as an ingredient.
In court documents, the consumers claim that the company’s oatmeal contains glyphosate, an herbicide the World Health Organization declared a probable carcinogen last year, although an Environmental Protection Agency committee disagreed. They say that oat farmers use the chemical as a weed killer and a drying agent that is sprayed before harvest.
While the lawsuit says there is nothing illegal about the company’s use of glyphosate, the consumers say the product’s “100 Percent Natural” promise and its label, which lists natural whole-grain rolled oats as the main ingredient, are misleading.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
