Pret a Manger has been sued in the US after the sandwich chain labelled bread as “natural” when they contained pesticides.
A lab test has found traces of glyphosate, an item used in weedkiller, in items including cookies, salads and bread from the chain.
The latest lawsuit comes following a teenager who was allergic to sesame died in 2016 after eating a sandwich from Pret that contained sesame but was not labelled.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse was to France from the UK when she bought the sandwich from a Pret store at Heathrow Airport.
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is a plaintiff in the court case.
The OCA’s international director, Ronnie Cummins, said: “Companies like Pret a Manger know this.”
“By describing their products or brands as ‘natural’, they are knowingly deceiving consumers in order to sell more product, and charge higher prices. We believe consumers should know the truth about this advertising tactic, and about what is actually in the food they are buying.”
Kim Richman, a partner in the Richman law firm that is prosecuting the suits, said: “Our clients believe that companies will need to start using the phrase ‘natural’ more responsibly in the future, taking legitimate precautions to avoid contamination by glyphosate or other synthetic biocides.”
“While glyphosate is indeed ubiquitous, it doesn’t need to be – and the campaign to put food producers and restaurants on notice about the issue is an important step in getting them to take glyphosate reduction seriously.”
Pret has not commented on the lawsuit.
