In a recent development, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Kraft Heinz, where the company was accused of misleading consumers by claiming that their microwavable Velveeta macaroni and cheese only takes 3-1/2 minutes to prepare.
US District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami ruled that consumer Amanda Ramirez lacked standing to pursue the proposed $5 million class action or force Kraft Heinz to change its packaging. Ramirez’s objection was based on the fact that the packaging did not include the additional time needed to remove the lid, add water, and stir in the cheese sauce pouch.
Judge Bloom pointed out that Ramirez had never alleged that she was unable to cook or even tried to prepare the Velveeta Shells & Cheese she purchased, nor did she claim that the product was so flawed as to be unusable.
Furthermore, the judge determined that there was no threat of future injury, as Ramirez now understands that the 3-1/2 minutes mentioned on the packaging only refers to the microwave cooking time, which was already clarified in the product’s directions.
The lawsuit had raised concerns about the premium price of the product, which was being sold at $10.99 for eight 2.4-ounce cups. Ramirez argued that she wouldn’t have made the purchase if she had known the complete truth about the preparation time.
While lawyers for Ramirez did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Kraft Heinz and its legal team also remained silent on the matter. The dismissal of the lawsuit represents a victory for the company as it resolves the controversy surrounding the preparation time claims on the Velveeta mac and cheese packaging.
