Velveeta's Suggested Mac 'n Cheese Prep Time Has Led to Legal Action
The 15-page class-action lawsuit was filed earlier this month.
A microwave mac 'n cheese connoisseur just might be responsible for one of the most harrowing and consequential lawsuits of our time. Florida resident Amanda Ramirez is taking Kraft Heinz to task on the company's suggested prep time for its microwavable Velveeta Shells & Cheese.
A 15-page class-action lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges that Kraft Heinz sells more of the mac, and at a higher price, than it would if it didn't mislead consumers about its prep time, NPR reports.
This is some serious stuff, so let's unpack the details. Now, any culinary artist of the microwave variety knows that Velveeta Shells & Cheese lists itself as "ready in three and a half" minutes. However, Ramirez says that time only accounts for the pasta's time in the microwave. The actual preparation process, from stirring in water to letting the sauce thicken, takes longer, she says.
Ramirez's legal team says that she chose Velveeta over other similar products because of the quick prep time promised on its label. She wouldn't have bought it "had she known the truth," the court filing reads. This is some heavy-hitting stuff.
The lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages for the microwave mac 'n cheese lovers of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, New Mexico, Alaska, Iowa, and Tennessee.
Kraft Heinz said that the lawsuit was "frivolous" in a statement provided to NPR. The company went on to say that it "will strongly defend against the allegations in the complaint."
As for how the case is expected to play out, who knows, but to the passionate pasta protectors and microwave chefs of the world, we salute you.