One day, let's say on a random summer afternoon, you decide it's a great time to get some ice cream. You head over to your local Cold Stone Creamery and further decide that pistachio ice cream is the best option to defeat the summer heat. The ice cream is tasty as always, but with more and more studies coming out about what we eat, you explore the company's website.
Much to your surprise, you realize that the Cold Stone Creamery pistachio ice cream has no pistachios in it after all! The satisfying taste is simply a flavoring of the nut containing water, ethanol, propylene, glycol, natural and artificial flavors, and multiple dyes (specifically Yellow 5 and Blue 1). Frustrated by the misleading information you claim to have encountered when visiting the ice cream shop, you decide a lawsuit is necessary.
...And that is exactly what a Long Island woman did following her visit to Cold Stone in July of 2022.
Per the Guardian, while the class action suit has yet to go to court, Gary Brown, a federal judge at the Eastern District Court of New York in Brooklyn, is allowing the case to advance. The lawsuit is targeting Kahala Brands, which is the parent company of Cold Stone Creamery.
"It seems inconceivable that such a consumer should have to search online to find the relevant webpages while waiting in line to order a scoop of ice cream," Brown wrote in a ruling.
With the green light to move forward with the suit, it will be interesting to see how this one plays out. It also raises a big question about the marketing and product advertising that occurs within food companies.
Does this make you want to do more research about what you consume? Would you ever take your favorite food spot to court? Regardless, the situation is certainly one that would drive any pistachios lover... Nuts.