Woman Suing Mac and Cheese Company for $5 Million Due to Allegedly Misleading Instructions
A woman is suing the Kraft Heinz Company for $5 million because her mac and cheese takes too long to prepare.
In her lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of Southern Florida, Amanda Ramirez claims the "ready in 3 and a half minutes" instructions located on the container for her microwaveable Velveeta Shells and Cheese are "false and misleading."
Ramirez's attorneys argue the microwave time listed on the package doesn't account for the four additional steps required to fully prepare the meal, which include removing the lid, pouring in the cheese packet, adding water and stirring everything after the product is heated in the microwaved.
The lawsuit reads:
Consumers seeing 'ready in 3 and a half minutes' will believe it represents the total amount of time it takes to prepare the product, meaning from the moment it is unopened to the moment it is ready for consumption. However, the directions outlined above show that 3-and-a-half minutes is just the length of time to complete one of several steps.
The plaintiff claims she would not have purchased the product if it had listed the alleged true time it takes to prepare the food.
Ramirez is also allegedly distraught over the price of the product.
According to court documents, Ramirez is accusing Kraft Heinz of selling the Velveeta product for a "premium price" of "no less than $10.99 for eight 2.39-oz. cups," which is "higher than similar products."
Ramirez is seeking $5 million in damages from the Kraft Heinz Company.
In response, the Kraft Heinz Company described the lawsuit as "frivolous."
"We are aware of this frivolous lawsuit and will strongly defend against the allegations in the complaint," Kraft Heinz said in a statement to USA Today.