A Florida woman wants Kraft to pay her $5 million for claiming Velveeta Shells & Cheese Microwavable Shell Pasta is “ready in 3½ minutes” when in reality, it takes longer when you incorporate prep time. Now, Amanda Ramirez is suing Kraft Heinz in a class action lawsuit for false advertisement.
- You expect microwavable pasta to be quick. And indeed, the Velveeta packaging says that in just a few minutes, you can be enjoying some deliciously cheesy goodness. However, according to Ramirez, the packaging is “false and misleading” because the time listed on the package only includes the duration the pasta is actually in the microwave.
- There are a few steps before the pasta can be cooked. Before you can pop your Velveeta Shells & Cheese into the microwave, you’ll need to add water, then add cheese sauce, and stir to combine. In theory, that won’t take long at all. However, there’s another element of prep that Amanda Ramirez takes particular umbrage.
- You have to let the mac and cheese cool. One of the most contentious parts of the lawsuit is Velveeta’s insistence that “cheese sauce will thicken upon standing.” While Ramirez doesn’t dispute that’s true, she says the standing time also isn’t included in the 3½ minutes and therefore, Kraft is trying to pull a fast one.
- Now, Ramirez is looking to represent more than 100 complainants. Ramirez’s lawyers insist that she’d been deceived and that she “would not have purchased (the product) or paid less had she known the truth.” In addition to $5 million, she wants the company to “cease its deceptive advertising” and “be made to engage in a corrective advertising campaign.”
- Kraft Heinz responded to the lawsuit with a very brief and dismissive statement. “We are aware of this frivolous lawsuit and will strongly defend against the allegations in the complaint,” the company said. What more is there to say, really?
