Kroger has agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit in California regarding its Carbmaster bread products, which were found to have inaccurate calorie counts. The lawsuit claimed violations of California’s False Advertising and Unfair Competition laws, stating that the company misrepresented calorie information on both product packaging and online listings.
The misleading information was particularly noted for five varieties of Carbmaster bread, sold in Kroger-owned stores like Ralphs and Food 4 Less. The company allegedly miscalculated the calorie content at the products’ launch in 2021 and continued to display incorrect values even after receiving consumer complaints.
For instance, the Carbmaster Hamburger Buns were advertised as containing 50 calories but actually had 100 calories, while white and wheat bread varieties were labelled as 30 calories instead of the correct 50. Investigators indicated that misleading information persisted on consumer-facing packaging for at least six months after corrections were made to the nutrition labels.
The legal action was taken by district attorneys from Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Riverside Counties. Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch emphasized the importance of accurate food labeling for consumer health and criticized Kroger for failing in its responsibility to provide truthful nutritional information. A spokesperson for Kroger did not comment on the settlement.
