A Fungus Not Among Us: Monini Truffle Oil Allegedly Lacks Truffles

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Monini North America, Inc. is on the receiving end of a proposed class action lawsuit that claims its truffle oil does not actually contain truffles. The plaintiffs claim they purchased Monini’s White Truffle Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil because they were led to believe it was flavored by real truffles. In reality, the suit alleges, Monini’s white and black truffle oils are flavored with the chemical 2,4-dithiapentane, also known as formaldehyde dimethyl mercaptal.

The complaint further notes that Monini truffle oil is marked with a premium price – 459% higher than a competing olive oil brand. While using an inexpensive chemical to flavor its product, the defendant charges a higher price than brands that do not claim to use truffle oil in their products, the suit argues. The plaintiffs allege that they would not have bought the product had they known it did not contain truffles.