People Are Suing TGI Friday's Over Its Mozzarella Sticks. Here's Why

On December 3, Top Class Actions published the news that TGI Friday's would face a class-action lawsuit over their mozzarella sticks, specifically because they are filled with cheddar, not mozzarella.

"Though the Product's front label states 'Natural and Artificially Flavored,' no reasonable consumer will expect this statement means they should not expect any mozzarella cheese," Megan Nason, the plaintiff, explains. The report continues by pointing out the very real difference between mozzarella and cheddar. The flavors are incomparable. Moreover, mozzarella contains more calcium, while cheddar boasts a greater amount of calories and fat. We cannot compare the issue to substituting Champagne with sparkling wine. Rather, it would resemble replacing Champagne with Riesling while maintaining the price of Champagne.

The complaint, then, is that TGI Friday's indulged in false representation and, in doing so, deceived, misled, and defrauded their customers. Regardless of your opinions of TGI Friday's, consumers need a base level of honesty. As of this writing, 27 people have commented on the news, asking to be added to the lawsuit. 

Considering the popularity of mozzarella sticks, it should not surprise that this is not the first lawsuit hurled at a big brand for violating the sacred breaded containers of baked cheese.

In late January 2016, Consumerist covered how the initial introduction of mozzarella sticks to McDonald's menu involved tubes of breaded air, or, to put it more directly, mozzarella sticks missing the mozzarella. McDonald's explained away the issue to the Chicago Tribune by saying the cheese had probably melted out of the sticks during the frying process, making it an inevitable hiccup in a new menu item. 

In February 2016, BuzzFeed reported that despite advertising their sticks as being entirely stuffed with mozzarella, McDonald's, in the words of the complaint, "[used] a substance that is composed (in part) of starch, in violation of the federal standards of identity for 'mozzarella' cheese, and contrary to reasonable consumers' expectations regarding the meaning of the term 'mozzarella.'" Sound familiar?