Kraft makes and markets "guacamole" dip products with avocado as the main ingredient. Then tomatoes, onions, citrus juice and spices are blended to make a delicious partner for crispy tacos.
But not a hint of avocado, the consumers are complaining, shelving their taco chips, for now. A lawsuit has been filed and is seeking class action status on behalf of all purchasers of a certain so-labeled “guacamole.” The lawsuit centers on alleged consumer fraud or deceptive advertising as “guacamole” products manufactured by Kraft -- which is also in the business of selling cigarettes.
Whoever heard of guacamole sans avocado? Just about every chips & dip lovers knows that the main ingredient in guacamole is avocado. But reading the labels, Kraft guacamole dip contains only 2% avocado and consists mostly of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and whey.
Also being questioned are Dean's, Marie's, Herr's, and T. Marzetti's -- guacamole brands that contains significantly more soybean, oil, coconut oil, and/or other vegetable oils than they do avocado. Herr's even have a picture of an avocado on its label when in fact it doesn’t list avocado as one of its ingredients, just "avocado powder."
"The apparent intent is to mislead consumers to believe their dip is really guacamole," argues the lawsuit, which gets the support of the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
"I think the consumer is getting tricked into buying because of packaging – which usually illustrates ripe avocados and kind of conveys 'organic and fresh' offering -- opening the lid, the closest resemblance to the avocado fruit is the color green only," snaps one complainant.
Now, irate consumers are calling the makers of guacamole dip as "some of the worst offenders" – in the league of those who sell crabmeat when in reality it is minced dogfish with clam juice. Or ice cream with petroleum byproducts.
The "guacamole" issue heaves on the growing number of disgruntled consumers fed up with deceptive food manufacturers. Now, there is a clamor for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue stricter directives on Food Regulation.
Guacamole is particularly popular in Southern California where among the health conscious, is likely included in their diet programs. Even, health food stores carry guacamole brands. Also, Californians like the thought that they are heeding the 'Eat Local' marketing campaign knowing that avocados are largely grown in the nearby West Coast farms.
As a result, consumers in the know are now probing on the color and taste of the guacamole brands in question -- with one user commenting, "It was bright green but tasted bitter - it had sort of an ash taste…"
Ash taste? Do not even suspect that Philip Morris spilled into your guacamole dip. Kraft has a lot of explaining to do – if that is the case.