Kraft Foods Group is facing a class action lawsuit over claims that it falsely marketed its fat-free cheddar cheese as "natural" when it allegedly contains artificial ingredients.

A California federal judge, John Kronstadt, certified a class of consumers which was bringing the case against the company but restricted the class to people who had bought the product because of its "natural" labelling and therefore been "misled" by the company. He rejected Kraft's argument that the plaintiffs, Claudia Morales and Mocha Gunaratna, could not prove that the term misled them and would have misled a "reasonable" consumer.

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"Plaintiffs are not required to demonstrate that each class member detrimentally relied on Kraft’s use of the term 'natural cheese,'" Kronstadt concluded. "Instead, they must show that plaintiffs themselves relied on the use of the term and that a reasonable consumer would have done the same. As stated in their declarations, each named plaintiff claims to have relied on the alleged misrepresentation."

According to the suit, which will now be heard by a federal court, the Kraft Natural Cheese — Shredded Cheese — Cheddar Fat Free product contains artificial colourings. The class suit alleges that the colourings pose health concerns, such as hyperactivity or allergic reactions in children.

The cheese is the latest in a string of US class action lawsuits challenging the use of the term "natural" by the food industry. Last month, Karlin Foods settled a lawsuit over its 'all natural' claims while Kellogg reached a US$3.99m settlement over natural claims associated with its Kashi brand.

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