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Lindt has found itself in a soup after a legal lawsuit in the US revealed that its chocolates contain traces of cadmium and lead.
The Swiss chocolate brand is under scrutiny. (Representational Image)
Swiss chocolatier Lindt reportedly thwarted its claims of using the ‘finest ingredients’ in their products during a US lawsuit, after it was revealed that the brand uses heavy metals in two of its dark chocolates. The shocking revelation came in an unsuccessful attempt to end the lawsuit filed in 2023. As gathered, the lawsuit was filed after a US consumer association questioned the presence of heavy metals in dark chocolate bars from several manufacturers, including two chocolates produced by Lindt in February 2023.
Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, raking over a September US court decision mentioned, “In its defence strategy, the company has dismantled its own promises of quality.”
Among shocking revelations, Lindt makers admitted that the words “excellence” and “expertly crafted with the finest ingredients” were casually thrown in the packaging of their bars to make them appealing to customers.
It all started when US consumer organization, Consumer Reports, tested 28 bars sold in the United States to find concerning levels of lead and cadmium in dark chocolate bars in 2023. One of the bars by Lindt was found to have a high level of cadmium, while another showed a high level of lead. The startling report provoked many consumers in the US states of Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, and New York to take legal action leading to the filing of several lawsuits against the brand. Many consumers highlighted how they fell for its claims. However, unless the products contained something that could kill people, consumers don’t exactly have a case.
The Swiss newspaper Le Temps noted that the chocolate’s high-profit margins are due to “the fact that consumers are willing to pay more for its industrial chocolates because of their quality image”.
As per the decision given by the Eastern District of New York district court, the chocolatier’s lawyers maintained that the words “excellence” and “expertly crafted with the finest ingredients”, printed on its bars, were unactionable “puffery”.
The court, which dismissed Lindt’s motion, defined product puffery as ‘exaggerated advertising, blustering, and boasting upon which no reasonable buyer would rely.’
