Woman Sues Velveeta After Mac & Cheese Takes Longer Than 3.5 Minutes To Cook
In the wide world of food products, it’s fairly common to come across items that aren’t exactly as advertised on the packaging. For the most part, folks give it a pass and chalk it up to the obvious differences in what a finished product realistically is. People occasionally take legal action, but it’s only when something is egregiously off the mark.
In one of the oddest class action lawsuits filed against a food company, a South Florida woman is seeking damages from Kraft Heinz Co. to the enormous tune of $5 million. Amanda Ramirez alleges that the time it takes to microwave one of Velveeta’s Shells & Cheese cups takes longer than stated on the packaging. The reasoning is hilarious, as Ramirez purports that the cooking directions, which states “Ready In Three ½ Minutes,” doesn’t account for the time it takes to remove the lid, add water and stir the cheese sauce.
“To provide consumers with a Product that is actually “ready in 3½ minutes,” the Product would need to be cooked in the microwave for less than 3-and-a-half minutes, so that all the preparation steps could be completed in the 3-and-a-half minutes timeframe,” the complaint proposes.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Miami and goes so far as to reinforce its position by arguing that the advertising misleads consumers who expect the “Product will be ready for consumption in a shorter amount of time.” Ramirez also suggests that Kraft Heinz Co. has made more money at the expense of consumers by falsely advertising a product that should be priced less.
“As a result of the false and misleading representations, the Product is sold at a premium price, approximately no less than $10.99 for eight 2.39 oz cups, excluding tax and sales, higher than similar products, represented in a non-misleading way, and higher than it would be sold for absent the misleading representations and omissions.”
In the proposed lawsuit, a long list of reasons is given to back up Ramirez’ claim about Kraft Heinz Co. What’s funny about all of this is that she’s probably right about how long it takes to cook Velveeta Shells & Cheese cups, but is filing a lawsuit over an additional two minutes worth it? Regardless of your take on this hilarious debacle, Ramirez seems to think it’s for the greater good, as the proposal clearly states on page one:
“Amanda Ramirez, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated.”
