Three class-action lawsuits filed in district courts in Illinois allege that products containing vegetable oils, and not dairy fat, are falsely and misleadingly described as “fudge.” (See Reinitz v. Kellogg Sales Company, Bartosiake v. Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc., and Lederman v. The Hershey Company).  The lawsuits, which are all filed by Sheehan & Associates, P.C. and are substantively identical, have targeted Kellogg Sales Company’s “Frosted Chocolate Fudge,” Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc.’s “Chocolate Fudge Iced Cake,” and the Hershey Company’s “Hot Fudge” respectively.

The lawsuits allege that fudge is a candy made from the mixing of sugar, butter, and milk, and that the replacement of dairy fats (butter and/or milk) with vegetable oils in each of the three products at issue constitutes deceptive advertising.  In support of these claims, Plaintiff cites a hodgepodge of sources including three recipes from around the turn of the 20^th century, a Wikipedia entry, Molly Mills, who is apparently “one of today’s leading authorities on fudge,” and a 1982 Bulletin from the International Dairy Federation.

Plaintiffs have not, however, provided any extrinsic evidence of consumer deception (e.g., market studies), and such information will almost certainly have to be produced for such a case to ultimately succeed. We have previously reported on several other class actions which allege that the replacement of dairy fat with vegetable oil is misleading to consumers (see here and here), and we will continue to monitor and report on the outcomes of these cases.