Five lawsuits against vegan meat producer Beyond Meat have been consolidated into one by the US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
The move to consolidate the five lawsuits, all alleging various forms of false advertising, was requested by the attorneys for Beyond Meat and agreed to by the plaintiffs.
Plaintiffs for the case include Don Lee Farms, which produces both plant and animal-based meats and previously served as the exclusive supplier of Beyond Meat products. In addition, several Beyond customers have brought a civil class-action lawsuit against the company.
According to Don Lee Farms, they had Beyond Meat tested by an independent laboratory to determine its protein content. They allege that the results showed Beyond Meat proteins to have on average 30% less protein than the company claims.. The suits also claims Beyond Meat incorrectly states their products to be free of synthetic ingredients. Specifically, they claim it contains methylcellulose which does not form in nature.
Beyond Meat and the plaintiffs have agreed to transfer the consolidated case to the Northern District of Illinois, rather than several different districts.
