A man from California is suing McDonald's for $5 million in damages because of a false claim over its mozzarella sticks. Chris Howe, along with 40 other consumers, are the plaintiffs in this class action suit.
In a report by Eater, the class action suit is based on the chain's misrepresentation of the actual ingredients that it uses on its mozzarella sticks. The cheesy confectionaries are said to be hollow and is not made with 100 percent real cheese despite McDonald's claim that its sticks are comprised of "real mozzarella."
The lawsuit claims, "The sticks are filled with a substance that is composed (in part) of starch, in violation of the federal standards of identity for 'mozzarella' cheese, and contrary to reasonable consumers' expectations regarding the meaning of the term 'mozzarella."
Fortune has also reported on this controversial lawsuit saying that Howe purchased these mozzarella sticks and subsequently claimed that the sticks were not in accordance to federal standards as to what "mozzarella cheese" must be.
He claimed that since the product contained 3.76 percent starch, then labeling it as "mozzarella cheese" is fraudulent. In addition, it alleged that the world's largest burger chain was cutting costs, which was why it made use of the starch filler.
Aside from the damages, Howe, in representation of other customers who have bought the mozzarella sticks, are seeking a cease and desist order and compensation for legal fees. He was also asking for restitutionary and non-restitutionary disgorgement.
McDonald's is refuting the claims and allegations of Howe. Its spokesperson said, "Our mozzarella cheese sticks are made with 100% low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese. We intend to defend ourselves vigorously against these allegations."
This is not the first time that McDonald's has been sued. It has been the subject of various trademark and copyright infringement cases in various countries of the world. Despite all these lawsuits, McDonald's remains to be the largest burger chain in the world.
