Costco Lawsuit Alleges Kirkland Signature Fish Oil Supplements Don’t Support Heart Health as Advertised

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Costco Wholesale Corporation faces a proposed class action lawsuit that claims its Kirkland Signature fish oil products do not support heart health as advertised.

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The 37-page complaint challenges Costco’s front-label claim that Kirkland Signature 1000 milligram (mg) fish oil supplements and Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan 1400 mg fish oil supplements help “support a healthy heart.” The filing points to numerous studies—including findings from leading authorities in the field of heart health like the National Institutes of Health—indicating that omega-3 supplements such as the products at issue offer no cardiovascular benefits.

“Specifically, the products do not reduce the risk of heart disease or adverse cardiovascular events (including heart attacks, strokes, unstable angina, arrhythmias, heart failure, or death from coronary heart disease), nor do they improve homocysteine levels (a marker of heart health),” the Costco lawsuit argues.

In fact, the case says, research shows that omega-3 fish oil supplements may even be harmful to heart health. According to the suit, the products can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes an irregular and often rapid heartbeat.

“Despite such evidence, companies like [Costco] continue to make false and misleading claims related to omega-3 supplements because reasonable consumers are particularly vulnerable to such claims,” the complaint contends.

The plaintiff, a California resident, says she bought Kirkland Signature fish oil supplements from Costco, reasonably believing the item would support her heart health. The woman claims that nothing on the product’s label alerted her to the fact that it could potentially harm her heart health.

Per the filing, the woman and other consumers have been financially harmed by Costco’s alleged misrepresentations, as they would not have bought the Kirkland Signature fish oil supplements, or they would have paid significantly less for them, had they known the defendant had no evidence to back up its claim that the products “support a healthy heart.”

The lawsuit looks to represent any California residents who purchased either of the Kirkland Signature fish oil products mentioned above within the applicable statute of limitations period.

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