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A new lawsuit is accusing Gloucester-based Gorton’s of misleading consumers by claiming its tilapia is “sustainably sourced” on packaging.
In fact, the suit alleges, the tilapia comes from industrial fish farms, many in China, where the fish are raised in inhumane and environmentally destructive conditions, including being fed antibiotics and feed that contains a potentially harmful preservative. |
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The suit, which is seeking to be designated as a class action, was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Boston. It seeks at least $5 million in damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs, and an end to what it says is misleading labeling.
It’s one of several recent lawsuits filed by a New York firm, Richmond Law and Policy, that specializes in so-called “greenwashing” cases, challenging claims by manufacturers and food producers that use terms like “sustainable,” “responsibly,” “ethically” or “thoughtfully” — terms that have no legal definition but that can lead consumers to believe that they are making a more environmental, humane or healthy choice when they purchase the products. |
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