Quaker Oats Lawsuit Says Certain Products Contain Unsafe Levels of Pesticide Chlormequat

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The Quaker Oats Company faces a proposed class action lawsuit after laboratory testing allegedly detected “dangerously high” levels of a potentially toxic pesticide in six products.

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According to the 12-page class action lawsuit, a February 2024 study commissioned by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that several popular oat-based cereals, granola and other products contain chlormequat, an agricultural chemical associated with an array of reproductive issues and other health risks.

The case claims the following Quaker Oats products were among the 13 food items that tested positive for the presence of chlormequat:

• Quaker Simply Granola Oats Honey & Almonds;
• Quaker Old Fashioned Oats;
• Quaker Oatmeal Square Honey Nut;
• Quaker Oatmeal Squares Brown Sugar;
• Quaker Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar; and
• Quaker Chewy Dark Chocolate Chunk.

Per the Quaker Oats lawsuit, chlormequat is commonly applied to oat and grain crops to control plant size. The complaint explains that the pesticide keeps these crops from bending over by blocking certain growth hormones, making for an easier harvest.

However, toxicological studies suggest that for mammals, ingesting even small amounts of chlormequat can reduce fertility, disrupt fetal growth, delay puberty, impair reproductive functions and harm the nervous system, the filing alleges.

The suit stresses that the Quaker Oats products at issue contain chlormequat at levels much higher than what’s considered safe by the EWG. The nonprofit advises that the maximum amount of chlormequat a person can consume daily without facing possible health problems is 30 parts per billion (ppb), the case relays. For comparison, the study detected nearly 300 ppb of chlormequat in Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, the complaint says.

The plaintiff, a California consumer who bought Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal last year, has filed suit against the company over its alleged failure to warn buyers that its products may potentially contain the dangerous pesticide.

“Had [the defendant] disclosed on the label that the products contained or risked containing chlormequat, and the harms that can result from ingesting chlormequat, she would not have purchased the products, or at the very least, would have only been willing to pay significantly less,” the filing says.

Per reports, other products found by EWG to contain chlormequat include, among others, Cheerios and some store-brand granolas and cereals sold by Target and Walmart.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone who bought any of the Quaker Oats products listed above in the United States during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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