Trader Joe’s Cold Pressed Juice More Processed Than Label Suggests, Class Action Alleges

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A proposed class action claims that Trader Joe’s Cold Pressed Juice is misleadingly labeled in that the product is more processed than consumers are led to expect.

The 16-page lawsuit alleges that although consumers understand the term “cold pressed” to mean that the juice was extracted from fruits and vegetables without any additional form of processing, the Trader Joe’s Cold Pressed Juice products at issue are subject to “high pressure processing” (HPP) after extraction.

Per the case, consumers were misled by Trader Joe’s description of the juice products as “cold pressed” and paid a premium price for juice that was not as fresh as they were led to expect. According to the filing, Trader Joe’s Cold Pressed Juice, which can be found in the grocer’s produce section, has more in common with “juices sold in standard refrigerator cases” since it’s “not freshly made or only cold pressed.”

“The value of the Product that Plaintiff purchased was materially less than its value as represented by Defendant,” the complaint alleges. “Defendant sold more of the Product and at higher prices than it would have in the absence of this misconduct, resulting in additional profits at the expense of consumers.”

According to the case, consumers understand the term “cold pressed” to refer to fresh juice extracted from fruits and vegetables through physical pressure in the same way that “fresh squeezed juice” is extracted from citrus fruits through squeezing. As the suit tells it, “cold pressed” refers to various pressing methods, including the rack and frame hydraulic press, horizontal piston press, bladder press, belt press and screw press, and not the introduction of cold temperatures.

“The word, ‘cold,’ is used to distinguish juices made through being pressed as opposed to being made from a centrifugal juice machine, similar to a blender,” the complaint relays.

The lawsuit alleges, however, that Trader Joe’s cold pressed juices are more highly processed than consumers expect given they are subject to “a cold water pressure method called HHP (high pressure processing),” as stated on the products’ labels.

According to the suit, Trader Joe’s description of its juice products as “cold pressed” is misleading because the items were processed after being extracted using a hydraulic press.

The lawsuit argues that consumers would not have bought the cold pressed juices, or would have paid less for them, had they known the products were processed.

The case looks to cover anyone in Illinois, Arkansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota, West Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Alaska and Montana who purchased the Trader Joe’s Cold Pressed Juices during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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