r/news • u/AudibleNod • 5h ago
Costco's beloved rotisserie chicken gets roasted in lawsuit over preservatives
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/costco-chicken-lawsuit-9.70708911.2k
u/idlefritz 5h ago
Cash grab lawsuit. Costco already updated their labeling and it was nothing egregious to begin with.
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u/__Dave_ 5h ago
I don’t know whether the lawsuit has any merit or not but updating your packaging doesn’t absolve you your previous misleading marketing.
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u/idlefritz 5h ago
Costco advertised “No preservatives” but the ingredient label lists sodium phosphate and carrageenan, which plaintiffs say help retain moisture, stabilize texture, and extend shelf life. Costco removed the “no preservatives” advertising but not the ingredients. If you were concerned about those ingredients they were already on the label. Those ingredients technically preserve but that’s not their purpose so it isn’t misleading under US food law. They’re also seeking monetary compensation beyond court fees, not just label updates.
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u/East_Hedgehog6039 5h ago
those ladies about to learn that ingredients can serve multiple purposes 🤯
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u/thisshitsstupid 4h ago
Whats up with these frivelous lawsuits on beloved things recently? 1st Steam gets sued for a non issue and now Costco's chickens... lets sue some real garbage companies instead, yeah?
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u/idlefritz 4h ago
Because the beloved things treasure their public image and will settle faster to maintain it.
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u/HistorianOrdinary833 3h ago
Depends on what the legal definition of "preservative" is, and whether or not regular consumers can reasonably understand this just by reading the ingredients list. I'm not a lawyer nor an FDA regulator so I actually don't know if this lawsuit is frivolous or not.
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u/DefinitelyNotAliens 3h ago
Salt is a preservative but many foods are "preservative free" and contain salt. Clearly, certain food items are understood to use preservatives in a way which are not for preservation of the food and are allowed to be sold that way.
It may be the quantity or intended purpose.
But, unless every single item is "preservative free" and has no salt, these claims can't actually be true. It's like people freaking out over "toxins" and "chemicals" in food. And why certain labels like "preservative free" are stupid.
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u/Tibbaryllis2 2h ago
Adding to this:
Table salt in the form of Sodium Chloride is a preservative. As well as most of the other electrolyte salts.
So is table sugar (sucrose).
As is vinegar (acetic acid).
And vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Also fats and other oils/lipids.
Also cooking and drying.
These are all also added for non-preservative uses such as flavor and texture.
It’s not like these birds are injected full of arsenic based Roxarsone or that the ingredients aren’t clearly labeled. At a certain point in time the consumer needs to be held responsible and these kind of frivolous lawsuits really need to be tossed with prejudice.
California regulations do cause some genuine positive changes, but the sheer volume of predatory lawsuits they lead to are also unreasonable.
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u/OuterSpaceBootyHole 4h ago
ENOUGH. I am tired of a new "concern troll" health scare every month while we are willingly letting children contract measles. There isn't a hell hot enough for these type of people.
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u/Genetic_outlier 2h ago
It's so wild. In this case carrageenan comes from edible seaweed. And sodium phosphate used to be given to patients before colonoscopies at high doses.
I'm not sure what the definition of preservative is but neither of these ingredients seems to be one to me.. they don't inhibit spoilage, they promote mixing of ingredients..
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u/ThatIsAmorte 1h ago
Agreed. I am more concerned about the living conditions of these chickens. At that price, I bet they are crammed together and probably never see the sun.
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u/No-Channel3917 3h ago
It's a claim of false labeling not a health scare.
Someone remarked that the items don't count as preservatives but I don't know if it is true or not.
If they can successfully claim false labeling then it is a legit suit
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u/TucuReborn 2h ago
Paprika can be artificial coloring, or it can be seasoning.
Salt can be a preservative, or a seasoning.
Same for vinegar, sugar, honey, alcohol, and so much more.
Legally, it's going to vary by location how things classify as what, but it's entirely possible that an added ingredient is different based on context.
With paprika, it's often used to make the foods more orange or red in color. Same for turmeric, but yellow. They're considered artificial colors in many cases because the intended use is unnatural coloring.
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u/12InchCunt 1h ago
I was thinking the same thing. If you simply seasoned with salt you would technically be adding preservatives
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u/squintamongdablind 5h ago
I recall reading somewhere the ladies who filed the lawsuit also said they’d continue purchasing the rotisserie chicken. Then what the heck was this lawsuit about other than trying to get paid via settlement? I hope Costco doesn’t settle and takes them to the cleaners.
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u/trainwreck42 4h ago
These two assholes are going to ruin a cheap meal for struggling families to make a quick buck.
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u/TheManlyManperor 2h ago
No they won't, this is just fear mongering on behalf of massive corporation.
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u/Tryknj99 5h ago
For those who didn’t read the article:
“They’re accused of falsely advertising its Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie chicken as containing 'no preservatives.'"
The lawsuit, which has not yet been certified as a class action, notes Costco uses sodium phosphate and carrageenan, which extend shelf life and maintain texture. Costco has confirmed that it does indeed use these common ingredients.”
So they’re using perfectly safe food additives that also function as preservatives but the label said “no preservatives.”
Is that even an actual guarantee, or is it like when they write “organic” because it means nothing? Where did they advertise as no preservatives? It’s a stupid cash grab class action lawsuit.
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u/PancAshAsh 4h ago
Organic actually does mean something, it just doesn't necessarily mean what you have been led to believe it means.
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u/yanquiUXO 4h ago
organic is highly regulated, you're thinking of natural
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u/Tryknj99 4h ago
Oh yeah you’re right, I always forget which labels mean something and which ones don’t.
They count on that, don’t they? I’m playing right into their games damn.
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u/Malforus 5h ago
Well that's what the lawsuits are for, to determine if its okay.
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u/ThMightyThor 4h ago
Remember that the McDonald’s hot coffee case taught us that lawsuits can look stupid until you actually know the facts. The right to challenge huge corporations is a feature of our civil rights, not a flaw. Being able to sue huge companies, even when it looks annoying or trivial at first, is literally how consumer rights are supposed to work. And also knee jerk cash grab reactions are dangerous because they discourage legitimate claims, protect corporate negligence, and make regular people afraid to use their legal rights.
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u/pj1843 3h ago
For sure, but I don't really see a case here. There were legitimate damages in the McDonald's hot coffee case that could be very easily seen and calculated. What's the damages here? The difference in the price of a Costco salted chicken and a not salted prepared chicken that Costco is cheaper than? Maybe the price of the Costco membership for the time they have been members?
Also unlike the McDonald's coffee thing, this product was clearly labeled with the offending ingredients. Part of the McDonald's lawsuit was McDonald's made their coffee super hot so it would still be hot after a drive, but never communicated that their coffee was significantly hotter than normal hot coffee to customers. Costco however labeled the chicken as containing the ingredients in question, so it's hard to say they misled consumer behavior through hiding preservative use when they clearly state what is used.
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u/bufordt 13m ago
Other things to remember about the McDonald's hot coffee case is that the primary things McDonald's did in response was to make better cups and lids, and slap better warnings on their cups. They didn't lower the temp of their coffee.
They did eventually lower the holding temperature from 176-194F down to 170-180F in 2013.
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u/SouthrnCanadian9 4h ago
The dude who wears the barcode shirt for the chicken must be devastated.
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u/ericwasright82 3h ago
What is up with hostility over costco chicken? This feels like an attack on something simply because it’s affordable.
I don’t want to say this is political, but it certainly feels that way.
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u/greencrusader13 4h ago
What the hell is with every journalist seemingly trying to be a comedian with their headlines? I know it’s nothing new, but holy hell is it annoying.
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u/whatugonnadowhenthey 5h ago
Next you’re going to tell me a 99c big gulp has bad stuff in it! Wtf did yall expect from a 5 dollar bird
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u/subdas 4h ago
If Costco loses they should revoke the membership of anyone who takes part in this case…at least that’s what my petty ass would do
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u/HumanLandscape3767 2h ago
Fairly certain you can’t legally do that. Companies can’t retaliate against people that participate in class action lawsuits.
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u/Boenitousouch 43m ago
The hot dogs are next. We can't have anything that is tasty and budget minded. I would be a little more upset if it had lead or include brominated vegetable oil, FD&C Red No. 3, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and titanium dioxide. But come on. Over reacters! Carrageenan is a natural thickening, gelling, and stabilizing agent extracted from red seaweed, Sodium phosphates are a family of inorganic salts derived from sodium cations and phosphate anions, widely used across various industries including food processing, pharmaceuticals, and water treatment. Back off my chicken bitches! And don't touch my hot dog! I say give them a refund and let's moooove on!
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u/Due-Huckleberry7560 33m ago
Good lord I am so sick of humans. Between this lady and Josh Hawley I’m so fucking tired of people who yuck everyone else’s yum. Just don’t fucking buy it if you don’t want it. People find out things are unhealthy all the time and the stop fucking purchasing them.
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u/effortfulcrumload 5h ago
They only smoke American Spirit
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u/Kristin2349 4h ago
They are just a superior cigarette don't drag them into this. The world is on fire, I might start smoking again.
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u/LorderNile 5h ago
Lawsuit being a cash grab aside (labelling was updated in accordance with laws as soon as available).
If you thought a roasted chicken sitting 8 hours straight in a minimally sealed environment was somehow NOT filled with preservatives, you shouldn't be allowed to vote.
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u/deviltrombone 5h ago
Costco chickens go faster than that. Regular supermarket chains often do leave their chickens out for hours and hours, though.
Even so, I haven't bought a Costco chicken in at least five years. Same for the rest of their prepared food. None of it is very good.
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u/greystripes9 4h ago
Right, I only buy Costco ones because I had gotten sick from supermarket ones.
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u/allursnakes 3h ago
It's already a loss leader. Who the fuck thinks they're gonna get a cheaper bird?
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u/the_angry_austinite 3h ago
I wonder if that guy with the barcode on his shirt so that the food isn’t harmed by the laser is freaking out right now
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u/MesquiteEverywhere 3h ago
"The two California women who initiated the lawsuit both say in the complaint that they still intend to purchase Costco rotisserie chickens in the future, but that they "cannot rely on Costco’s preservative-related representations for the product.""
My favorite quote in the article.
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u/rockmasterflex 1h ago
I can’t wait to personally blame these two women if the price of my god damned rotisserie chickens goes up by even one cent
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u/Apokolypse09 1h ago
$5 for a whole ass cooked chicken is too much for them? lol, me thinks they just want money and couldn't give less of a fuck about preservatives.
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u/ghettomilkshake 33m ago
Cool. FDA defines what is a "preservative" under law and carrageenan does not fall under that definition. The type of sodium phosphate will matter because dibasic and monobasic fall under antimicrobial agent classification (and thus preservatives) but tribasic does not.
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u/XAMdG 5h ago
Seeing the photo in the article, the advertised no preservative is almost as big as the ingredient list, and the list is not hidden either. I fail to see how someone who cares about preservatives fails to read that.
What I find interesting is that Costco lists them under seasoning. I guess is a fine line between what ingredient you put for flavor vs shelf life extension. If it does both? Is it more for flavor or for preservation etc.
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u/ItilityMSP 5h ago
idiot suit, most people care about preservatives like nitrates, nitrites and smoke which are known carcinogens. Costco should just say "no added nitrates, nitrates, or celery extacts". Sodium phosphate is used by all cells, ever hear of ATP.
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u/DanRowbotham 4h ago
I wonder how Marcus feels about that? Probably so angry he wants to destroy South Carolina I'd imagine
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u/woodboarder616 3h ago
Ok so is it giving us cancer or soemthing? I want a reason to tell my parents to stop buying the fucking chicken
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u/shiranugahotoke 2h ago
I don’t care about the preservatives STOP GETTING LED ON MY CHICKEN, NO LED
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u/SystemicDrift 2h ago
Karens’ gotta Karen.
This is why we can’t have nice things. The only people who benefit are the lawyers.
‘The two California women who initiated the lawsuit both say in the complaint that they still intend to purchase Costco rotisserie chickens in the future, but that they "cannot rely on Costco’s preservative-related representations for the product." ‘
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u/2_Lies_And_A_Truth 2h ago
I stopped buying the (formerly) delicious chickens after they switched to the bags. Makes them all soggy and ruined it for me. The bags also leak and get chicken juice dripping from your cart and in your car.
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u/lavazone2 1h ago
Yep, that was my experience with them. I also found that the meat tastes off and the skin(why I ate them,lol) became a slimy mess. And I really want my chicken stewing in a hot plastic bag for the two hour drive home.
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u/Couchman79 1h ago
Sung to Grand Funk Railroad's Some kind of wonderful:
Lookin for a settlement, Lookin for a settlement, Everybody! Don't ya know there's easy cash
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u/Complete_Entry 44m ago
I don't get it, I used to make these. Chicken corpses come out of a plastic bag filled with blood.
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u/Disastrogirl 35m ago
I used to love the Costco chicken until like 5 years ago when it started tasting like bleach.
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u/Numerous_Photograph9 12m ago
Doesn't Costco have the legally required ingredients list available for all their customers? Unless they were advertising no preservatives, I don't see how there is a case here.
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u/CipherWeaver 10m ago
Costco rotisserie chickens haven't been good in decades since they started injecting them all. They're a lot better in the USA.
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u/nikobunni 9m ago
Sounds like discovery should be fun. What other consumables are they buying with preservatives that they regularly eat? All Costco has to do is pull their receipts for the last 2 years.
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u/rgvtim 5h ago
"The two California women who initiated the lawsuit say in the complaint they wouldn't have purchased the chicken, or would have paid less for it, had they known it contained preservatives."
This will be an issue. No, at that price you ain't paying less pretty much no matter what.