FORT MYERS, Fla. — A Fort Myers man has filed a federal lawsuit against the parent company of Combos snacks, arguing that they are deceptively marketed because they don’t contain enough “real cheese.”
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In the filing, Edward Pistorio pointed to the fact that the cheddar cheese-flavored version of the snack is marketed with a picture of a large block of cheese and the labels, “Filling made with REAL CHEESE,” and “Natural Flavors.”
However, he also cited the ingredients list, which said the snacks are less than 2% cheese blend.
According to the label included in court documents, the main ingredients of the snack are wheat flower, palm oil, dairy product solids, carbohydrates and corn starch.
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“More than half the public consider cheese ‘healthy’ and ‘nutritious,’ because it is high in protein and nutrients, with key vitamins and minerals like calcium,” Pistorio’s attorney wrote in the Florida Middle District Court lawsuit. “By replacing real cheese with palm oil and dairy product solids, the filling lacks the quality, nutritional, and savory attributes that consumers expect from a label indicating a ‘Filling Made with Real Cheese.’”
The lawsuit claims the “real cheese” labeling contributed to the “premium” $2.59 price of the product, additionally misleading and hurting consumers.
Pistorio’s class action lawsuit demands that Combos’ parent company, Mars, Inc., pay damages for the alleged deceptive marketing and “other relief as the Court deems just and proper.”
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A request for comment sent to Mars, Inc. was not immediately returned.
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