A Costco customer has initiated legal proceedings against the wholesale giant, claiming the company deceived shoppers by advertising its Kirkland Signature Five Cheese Tortelloni as free from preservatives when it actually contains a chemically manufactured additive.
Lawsuit details
The proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in California on April 29 by Sydney Turner. The complaint asserts that the product's packaging prominently features a 'no preservatives' label, which is contradicted by the inclusion of manufactured citric acid in the ingredient list. Turner argues that manufactured citric acid is produced through industrial fermentation and heavy chemical processing, potentially involving genetically modified black mold, and that she would not have bought the product had she known the truth.
Legal demands
The plaintiff is seeking class-action certification for consumers across the United States, alongside damages, legal fees, court costs, and a jury trial. The lawsuit contends that the manufactured citric acid is not naturally extracted from fruit, making the 'no preservatives' claim misleading.
Background context
This legal action comes after a separate proposed class-action lawsuit filed in March in Washington federal court. That case accused Costco of unjustly retaining financial benefits from federal import tariffs imposed by the administration in February 2025 and later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2026, by not refunding customers after raising prices.
The current lawsuit highlights ongoing scrutiny of food labeling practices and consumer protection standards, with the plaintiff arguing that Costco's marketing misled reasonable shoppers into believing the product was entirely free of preservatives.
