One customer’s world was apparently shattered when he discovered some of Krispy Kremes’ (KKD) doughnuts are made with flavoring and food coloring instead of the real thing, so he’s now suing the company.
Jason Saidian has filed a lawsuit against the doughnut chain, accusing it of violating California’s False Advertising Law. The products he specifically points to include the Glazed Raspberry Filled, the Glazed Blueberry Cake, and the Maple Iced Glazed doughnuts, among others. He claims that the names of these flavored pastries lead customers to believe that they are made with real raspberry, blueberry, and maple.
The lawsuit, obtained by Consumerist, states that Krispy Kreme’s advertising says the products are made with “Premium Ingredients” and they’re “uniformly priced higher than the Original Glazed Donut.” It claims that if the customers had known the doughnuts didn’t contain any real fruit or maple they wouldn’t have bought them, or they at least wouldn’t have paid as much.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that by misleading customers about the presence of these ingredients, Krispy Kreme has essentially robbed them of certain health benefits that they may have expected from the glazed doughnuts. It states that raspberries “are a rich source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium, and dietary fiber” and they “help fight against cancer, heart disease, and age-related decline”; similarly, blueberries “have the potential to limit the development and severity of certain cancers and vascular diseases” and research suggests they’re “one of the richest sources of antioxidant phytonutrients.”
Krispy Kreme refused to comment on the ongoing litigation.