Lawsuit Filed by Custodio & Dubey LLP Alleges that Kroger Failed to Warn Consumers that its Kroger Brand Wheat Bread Contains High Levels of Urethane, a Known Carcinogen
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 26, 2014 -- A lawsuit recently filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case #BC555670, alleges that The Kroger Co. (“Kroger”), one of the largest supermarket chains in the country, is selling wheat bread containing high levels of Urethane without a required warning on the packaging. According to the lawsuit, California Health and Safety Code § 25249.6 et seq. (“ Proposition 65”) requires manufacturers and other businesses to post warning signs on products that contain specific chemicals that are known to the state to cause cancer or birth defects and Urethane is one of these chemicals.
As detailed in the Complaint, Kroger is purported to be selling its wheat bread with higher levels of Urethane content than legally allowed without a required warning. The Complaint further alleges that consuming the high amounts of Urethane found in Kroger wheat bread on a daily basis could cause cancer.
According to the Complaint, Kroger brand wheat bread lists Azodicarbonamide as one of its ingredients. As reported by cnn.com on February 17, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/06/health/subway-bread-chemical/, Azodicarbonamide usage increases Urethane content in bread. The same article notes that Azodicarbonamide is a chemical that is currently banned for use in food products in the European Union, is used in yoga mats and tennis shoes, and was removed by Subway from its bread after a public outcry.
Vineet Dubey, a partner at Custodio & Dubey LLP, counsel for the Plaintiff, said, “As stated in our Complaint, this lawsuit seeks a Court order requiring Kroger to either remove Azodicarbonamide from its wheat bread in order to lower the Urethane content, or to provide a Proposition 65 warning on its bread packaging so consumers can make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase and consume its bread.”
Miguel A. Custodio, Jr., also from Custodio & Dubey LLP, added, “One of the main objectives of Proposition 65 is to make citizens of California aware of their potential exposure to cancer-causing chemicals in the products they purchase. It is no secret that bread is a staple of the American diet. The recent public outrage regarding Azodicarbonamide in bread shows the general public cares about the ingredients in their food. As our Complaint states, based on our testing, Kroger’s wheat bread exposes Americans to unhealthy levels of Urethane, a known carcinogen.”
For more information, please contact:
Vineet Dubey, dubey(at)cd-lawyers(dot)com at Custodio & Dubey LLP http://www.cd-lawyers.com.
Vineet Dubey, Custodio & Dubey LLP, http://www.cd-lawyers.com, +1 (310) 980-3889, [email protected]
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