Marketed as 'Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta,' Barilla sued over product not being made in Italy
Camille Fine
USA TODAY
Advertised as "Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta," the popular pasta brand Barilla will face a lawsuit over allegedly misleading consumers to believe that products made in Iowa and New York were actually made in the motherland of pasta, Italy.
A federal judge on Monday denied Barilla’s motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of misrepresenting its products. Judge Donna Ryu found that the company’s phrase, "Italy's No.1 brand of pasta,” could mislead consumers to believe that the pasta is made in Italy. In addition to the phrase, Barilla features the green, red and white colors of the Italian flag on the signature blue boxes.
In addition to asking the court to stop Barilla from using Italy’s likeness in marketing and on the alleged mislabeled product, plaintiffs are seeking monetary compensation, claiming they overpaid for pasta.
Barilla originated as a bread and pasta shop in Italy but is now based in Illinois. Barilla argues that its trademark is used to “invoke the company’s Italian roots through generalized representations of the brand as a whole,” not mislead buyers.
The judge's decision comes on the heels of a similar complaint filed against the makers of Texas Pete hot sauce after a California man learned the product isn't actually made in Texas.
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What does the lawsuit claim?
In the original complaint, Matthew Sinatro and Jessica Prost said that because of how the company’s products are advertised, they purchased multiple boxes of Barilla spaghetti and angel hair pasta under the belief it was made in Italy with Italian ingredients.
The complaint alleges that Barilla doesn’t exclusively use Italian wheat in its products and exploits consumers who are willing to pay more for authentic Italian pasta. The company is accused of using deceptive advertising and marketing to hike up Barilla’s prices and increase profits.
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The plaintiffs also claim Barilla has an unfair advantage over “lawfully acting competitors” at the expense of “unwitting consumers.”
Barilla did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
Camille FineUSA TODAY
Advertised as "Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta," the popular pasta brand Barilla will face a lawsuit over allegedly misleading consumers to believe that products made in Iowa and New York were actually made in the motherland of pasta, Italy.
A federal judge on Monday denied Barilla’s motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of misrepresenting its products. Judge Donna Ryu found that the company’s phrase, "Italy's No.1 brand of pasta,” could mislead consumers to believe that the pasta is made in Italy. In addition to the phrase, Barilla features the green, red and white colors of the Italian flag on the signature blue boxes.
In addition to asking the court to stop Barilla from using Italy’s likeness in marketing and on the alleged mislabeled product, plaintiffs are seeking monetary compensation, claiming they overpaid for pasta.
Barilla originated as a bread and pasta shop in Italy but is now based in Illinois. Barilla argues that its trademark is used to “invoke the company’s Italian roots through generalized representations of the brand as a whole,” not mislead buyers.
The judge's decision comes on the heels of a similar complaint filed against the makers of Texas Pete hot sauce after a California man learned the product isn't actually made in Texas.
The world’s 50 best bars in 2022:See which bars in the US made the last
More:Makers of Texas Pete hot sauce face lawsuit over product being made in North Carolina
What does the lawsuit claim?
In the original complaint, Matthew Sinatro and Jessica Prost said that because of how the company’s products are advertised, they purchased multiple boxes of Barilla spaghetti and angel hair pasta under the belief it was made in Italy with Italian ingredients.
The complaint alleges that Barilla doesn’t exclusively use Italian wheat in its products and exploits consumers who are willing to pay more for authentic Italian pasta. The company is accused of using deceptive advertising and marketing to hike up Barilla’s prices and increase profits.
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The plaintiffs also claim Barilla has an unfair advantage over “lawfully acting competitors” at the expense of “unwitting consumers.”
Barilla did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.
