Kroger Wins Egg Lawsuit

Kroger Wins Dismissal of Farm Fresh Egg Lawsuit

Grocery Chain Prevails in Misleading Marketing Case

In a significant victory for the grocery industry, Kroger has won the dismissal of a lawsuit that claimed the company misled consumers by labeling its eggs as "farm fresh." The lawsuit, filed by a shopper named Adam Sorkin, alleged that Kroger intentionally deceived customers into believing that the eggs were produced by free-range hens, when in fact they were confined to cages.

However, U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve ruled that the term "farm fresh" is not well-defined and does not carry a specific meaning under the law. She also noted that Kroger's packaging clearly stated that the eggs were produced by "cage-free hens," which is accurate.

"The court finds that plaintiff has not plausibly alleged that the defendants' use of the term 'farm fresh' on their egg cartons is false or misleading," Judge St. Eve wrote in her ruling.

Kroger's victory is a major setback for consumer advocates who have been pushing for stricter labeling standards for eggs. The company's argument that "farm fresh" is a vague term that does not require eggs to be produced by free-range hens is likely to be used by other grocery chains to defend similar lawsuits.