Chobani Fails to Toss Consumer Suit Over ‘Only Natural’ Yogurt

Chobani LLC will continue to face at least part of a proposed class action alleging the company used misleading and false packaging claiming its Zero Sugar Greek yogurt contains “only natural ingredients.”

Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks of the US District Court for the Southern District of California denied the company’s motion to dismiss, finding the complaint sufficiently alleged that the yogurt products contain stevia leaf extract and monk fruit extract, which have undergone transformative manufacturing processes that a reasonable customer wouldn’t consider natural.

The court cited the complaint’s description of the 11-step manufacturing process required to turn stevia leaves into stevia extract, as well as how monk fruit becomes extract.

The claims are more than speculative because Plaintiff has sufficiently connected the manufactured ingredients to the products for purposes of the present motion,” Cheeks said in his July 11 decision.

This case is one of numerous lawsuits against Chobani over claims of the company’s products containing zero sugar, vanilla flavoring, or humanely sourced ingredients. The yogurt maker has largely prevailed.

Named plaintiff Laura Willis Albrigo alleged that saying the yogurt was natural despite its manufactured components and artificial coloring violated California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Laws, and that Chobani engaged in unjust enrichment.

Although he allowed the claims related to manufactured ingredients to proceed, Cheeks dismissed the claims over artificial coloring.

But the judge denied Chobani’s motion to dismiss based on arguments that the plaintiff failed to substantiate her “only natural ingredients” assertion, and that her alleged overpayment for the yogurt wasn’t an injury-in-fact. Chobani’s claim that Albrigo lacked standing for injunctive relief was moot, he said.

Chobani didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Albrigo is represented by Fitzgerald, Monroe, Flynn PC. Chobani is represented by Hogan, Lovells US LLP.

The case is Albrigo v. Chobani, LLC, 2025 BL 244927, S.D. Cal., No. 3:24-cv-01418, 7/11/25.