(General Mills)
Can something that contains highly processed ingredients be marketed as all natural?
Two California mothers don’t think so, and they are suing General Mills claiming false advertising.
The food giant's Nature Valley products, which include wholesome-looking granola bars and snacks that advertise that they are all natural, actually contain highly processed ingredients. The suit takes issue with the use of high fructose corn syrup, high maltose corn syrup and maltodextrin.
In 2010, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) pressed Nature Valley about the inclusion of high fructose corn syrup, and the ingredient was removed from most products, but the other two were left in.
“I’ve figured out now that something can say it’s 100 percent natural on the outside and not be 100 percent natural,” Amy McKendrick, one of the mothers, told the New York Times.
“I want to make sure other people making purchases understand that, too.”
A General Mills spokesperson told the Times last week that the company was aware of the CSPI press release but “to our knowledge, we have not been served with a lawsuit.”
You can see a copy of the lawsuit here.
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