Barilla Pasta Being Sued For Allegedly Lying To Customers
Barilla is facing a class action lawsuit related to false claims that its pasta is made in Italy, when the pasta it sells in the US is actually manufactured in Iowa and New York.
Another brand is under fire for supposedly misleading customers about its origins. This time Barilla is in the crosshairs. And based on recent news from the court, the lawsuit has some legs.
Last year, Jessica Prost and Matthew Sinatro filed a lawsuit against the pasta company. Their argument? They said they only bought boxes of Barilla pasta because they believed it is manufactured in Italy.
Barilla is now facing a class-action lawsuit, which reached a federal judge this week. The pasta company sought to avoid further legal entanglements. But according to CNN, the judge ruled against them.
Per the federal judge, Barilla cannot avoid the lawsuit and must address its alleged deceptive advertising. That ruling declared “that the pair suffered ‘economic injury’ and presented enough evidence that they wouldn’t have purchased Barilla if they knew it wasn’t made in Italy.” The CNN report does not expand on what that evidence is.
Barilla’s slogan is the core problem. The company claims it is “Italy’s No. 1 brand of pasta.” And it also prominently features the colors of Italy’s flag.
According to the lawsuit, by using the flag, Barilla is “further perpetuating the notion that the products are authentic pastas from Italy.” It accuses the company of using deceptive advertising practices, thus tricking customers. So, where does Barilla make its pasta?
Well, the answer is relatively simple. After a few clicks on the company’s website, users can access the FAQ section. There are two pertinent questions in the “business or company-related questions” section.
First up is a question about the location of the company headquarters. And that has a two-part answer. It turns out that Barilla has two corporate offices.
The main corporate office is in Parma, Italy, where Barilla started in 1877. But Barilla has grown significantly over the years. Now it is an international company that sells its products in over 100 countries.
So, Barilla added a second corporate office. That is the American corporate office. And it is located in Northbrook, Illinois.
The next question listed in the FAQ is directly relevant to the lawsuit. And that is “where is Barilla pasta made – in the United States or Italy?” The answer indirectly addresses an additional concern expressed in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, one of the problems is that Barilla markets its products “as authentic, genuine Italian pastas—made from ingredients sources in Italy (like durum wheat), and manufactured in Italy.” Which the lawsuit claims are untrue.
However, the answer in the FAQ clearly states that Barilla has two manufacturing plants in the US. One in Ames, Iowa. The other is in Avon, New York.
Per the website, “the Barilla family was very concerned about maintaining Barilla’s high quality standards in the new plant. Consequently, the machines used in our Ames and Avon plants are the same as used in our plant in Parma, Italy. The recipe and the wheat blend are the same as that used in Parma, Italy.”
Since the company never claims all its products get made in Italy, it may mean good news for them. Ultimately, it will all depend on how the suit moves forward. Barilla fans can watch for news updates on the saga while eating a nice bowl of spaghetti.
