Snyder’s of Hanover Butter Snaps Pretzels Lack ‘An Appreciable Amount of Butter,’ Class Action Alleges

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action claims Snyder’s of Hanover Butter Snaps Pretzels have been misrepresented given the snack contains less real butter than consumers have been led to expect.

According to the 16-page complaint, Snyder’s-Lance, Inc. has misled consumers by touting the pretzels as “Butter Snaps” when, in reality and unbeknownst to buyers, the product “lacks an appreciable amount of butter.” The suit says that the Butter Snaps pretzels contain more vegetable oils than butter and derive their taste from “Enzyme Modified Butterfat,” which the case says has “little to no connection to real butter.”

“This causes consumers to conflate the presence of butter ingredients, with butter flavor,” the complaint says.

The lawsuit argues that whether a food contains real butter is an important consideration to consumers, who rely on a company’s packaging representations to truthfully disclose a product’s ingredients.

“Whether a product contains real butter or only tastes like butter is basic front label information consumers rely on when making quick decisions at the store,” the complaint states. “Defendant did not have to name the Product ‘Butter Snaps Pretzels,’ but chose to, since this is more enticing to consumers.”

All told, the lawsuit claims consumers have overpaid for Butter Snaps pretzels given the product contains less butter than they were led to expect.

The case explains that consumers have long valued butter for its natural origins, taste and vitamins and minerals. Though consumers may believe based on the Butter Snaps pretzels’ labeling that the pretzels contain real butter, the ingredients list reveals that the product instead contains “Natural Flavor (Enzyme Modified Butterfat),” the lawsuit attests.

Enzyme modified butterfat is, according to the suit, “not real butter” but merely “microscopic drops of real butter” to which enzymes are added in order to enhance the butter taste.

The suit alleges that even if consumers read the Butter Snaps pretzels’ ingredients list, they would not be able to tell that the product contains only minuscule amounts of butter. Per the case, the defendant has attempted to mislead consumers regarding the amount of butter in the product by listing “Enzyme Modified Butterfat” immediately after “Natural Flavor,” which implies that the pretzels contain a non-negligible amount of real butter.

In fact, the product contains more vegetable oil than butter and is merely flavored with enzyme modified butterfat, the suit attests.

The case claims the defendant sold more of the Butter Snaps pretzels, and at higher prices, than it would have absent the allegedly misleading labeling.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in Illinois, Iowa, Arizona, Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia, Michigan, Texas, Arkansas, Virginia and Oklahoma who purchased the Butter Snaps pretzels within the applicable statute of limitations period.

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s newsletter here.