A class-action lawsuit has been leveled against popular U.S. retailer Trader Joe’s for allegedly not filling their 5 oz. cans of tuna to capacity.
Filed on 5 January, the lawsuit details tests conducted by a U.S. government lab which found many cans of Trader Joe’s tuna to contain 3 ounces less of the fish than was advertised. According to the lawsuit, “every lot tested, and nearly every single can, was under-filled in violation of the federally mandated minimum standard of fill.”
When testing 24 cans of Trader Joe’s Albacore Tuna in Water Halt Salt, members of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) discovered that, on average, the cans contained 2.43 ounces of pressed cake tuna, which is 24.8 percent below the federally mandated minimum set for standard of fill (3.23 ounces). Cans of Trader Joe’s Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil with Salt Added were found to be 11 percent under the mandatory minimum, containing 2.87 ounces of fish on average.
“Trader Joe’s Tuna is underfilled and thus substantially underweight, does not contain an adequate amount of tuna for a 5 ounce can and is illegal for sale in the United States,” claims the lawsuit.
When asked to comment on the pending litigation by The New York Post, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson said it was part of the grocery chains policy to not comment on active legal matters.
