US: ConAgra defends itself against Parkay labelling lawsuit

US food giant ConAgra Foods has said it will “vigorously” defend itself over a lawsuit that accuses the company of “intentionally misrepresenting” its Parkay Spray butter as fat and calorie-free.

The lawsuit, filed by Pamela Trewhitt in Omaha’s federal court on behalf of “thousands of people”, claims it has been “deceived” by ConAgra’s product labelling, according to AP.

The lawsuit notes that while the spray is marketed and sold as fat-free and calorie-free, it contains 832 calories and 93g of fat per 8oz bottle. It also claims the product’s nutrition information label uses “artificially small serving sizes of one to five sprays to understate the amount of fat and calories in the product”, AP said.

A spokesperson for ConAgra said: “While we don’t comment on pending litigation, ConAgra Foods stands behind the accuracy of our labeling and has a long-established commitment to marketing our food responsibly. We intend to vigorously defend this litigation.”