‘Recklessly’ underfilled Raisinets box prompts lawsuit

A yellow box of Raisinets is under the spotlight in a lawsuit filed against Nestle USA Inc. 

Sandy Hafer, of Los Angeles, is claiming that the box of chocolate-covered raisins she purchased from a grocery store was “recklessly” underfilled and is accusing the candy maker of false advertising in a class action suit filed Jan. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The lawsuit, accessed by several media outlets, alleges that the “opaque packaging of Nestle USA Inc.’s Raisinets candies leads customers to believe they are buying a full box of the chocolate-coated raisins when, in fact, the box is only 60% full” and that “approximately 40% each (Raisinets’) packaging is non-functional slack-fill — empty space which serves no functional purpose under the law.” 

The lawsuit contends that Nestle’s “deceptive packaging” violates California’s false advertising and unfair competition laws and is seeking $5 million in refunds and interest accrued for purchases made by thousands of consumers.