Lawsuit targets Trader Joe’s for ‘deceptive’ imagery on cage-free eggs
Lawsuit targets Trader Joe’s for ‘deceptive’ imagery on cage-free eggs
The latest complaint comes from the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), which on March 15 filed a lawsuit, claiming that the Monrovia, Calif.-based grocer Trader Joe’s is trying to capitalize on consumers’ confusion over the real meaning of cage-free eggs.
The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Alameda on behalf of Carolyn Claybaugh, a Danville, Calif. resident and Trader Joe’s shopper. The complaint states the company’s images of hens foraging outside, “in green, wide-open pastures,” is a “sham” and is meant to deceive shoppers into thinking the eggs come from chickens that are also pasture-raised, when in fact, those hens are still confined in indoor facilities and never go outside.
“There can be only one reason Trader Joe’s uses false representations of hens foraging outdoors on its Cage Free egg cartons: To trick consumers into believing that Trader Joe’s use of the term ‘cage-free’ is synonymous with hens humanely living outdoors,” ALDF states in the complaint.
“While the hens who lay Trader Joe’s Cage Free eggs are not confined to battery cages, they also never see the sunshine, grass, and natural living conditions depicted on Trader Joe’s Cage Free egg cartons. Instead … the hens who lay Trader Joe’s Cage Free eggs are never allowed to leave the indoor confines of industrial hen houses, and are never given access to grass, much less expansive pasture, upon which to roam, forage, and engage in other natural behaviors.”
The complaint alleges that the marketing tactic employed by Trader Joe’s violates a number of California consumer protection laws, including the Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act.
Read full article and learn more about deceptive advertising here.
