Certain Bob’s Red Mill Flaxseed Products Contain Toxic Heavy Metal Cadmium, Class Action Says

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A proposed class action claims Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, Inc. has misled consumers about the health benefits of certain flaxseed products and failed to warn the public that the items contain unsafe levels of cadmium.

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The 31-page lawsuit says that the whole-grain food manufacturer represents that Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal and Bob’s Red Mill Golden Flaxseed Meal are healthy and contain high-quality ingredients. Per the suit, the products’ labeling includes statements such as “To Your Good Health” and “You Can See Our Quality” and asserts that the company’s method of milling flax results in “flaxseed meal with optimal nutrition and a fresh nutty flavor you won’t find anywhere else.”

The case alleges that, despite these representations, Bob’s Red Mill has deceived consumers by failing to disclose that the flaxseed products contain high levels of cadmium—a toxic heavy metal and known human carcinogen linked to numerous adverse health conditions.

The results of a January 2023 analysis by ConsumerLabs.com, which tested a variety of flaxseed products on the market, revealed that Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal contained 6.1 micrograms of cadmium per suggested serving and the company’s Golden Flaxseed Meal registered 5.5 micrograms of the heavy metal in the same serving size, the complaint explains.

Under California law, a food product that exceeds 4.1 micrograms of cadmium, the maximum allowable daily limit for the heavy metal, must be labeled as a known carcinogen, the filing relays.

Though testing shows that the products at issue contain levels of cadmium higher than 4.1 micrograms—and, in fact, higher than competing flaxseed products—the defendant has not included a warning label on the items in accordance with California’s Proposition 65, the lawsuit claims.

According to health organizations, exposure to cadmium is linked with cancer, reproductive issues in men, birth defects and delayed development in children, kidney dysfunction and other serious medical concerns, the suit stresses.

The plaintiff, a California resident, bought Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal in January of this year, believing, based on the representations, that the product was healthy and made with high-quality ingredients, the case says. The man claims that he would not have paid as much for the flaxseed meal, or bought it at all, if he had known it contained unsafe levels of cadmium.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone who purchased the products listed on this page for personal use in California during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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