Hebrew National Lawsuit Claims Hot Dogs, Other Meat Products “Not 100% Kosher”

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against ConAgra Foods Inc, alleging that its hot dogs and other meat products sold under the Hebrew National brand are not actually kosher.

In the lawsuit, which was filed by eleven individual consumers in May in Dakota County District Court of Minnesota, the plaintiffs claim that employees with AER, which provides kosher slaughtering services, witnessed procedures at slaughterhouses that rendered the meat being processed unkosher.

“Hebrew National products are not made from 100% kosher beef “as defined by the most stringent Jews who follow Orthodox Jewish Law,” the lawsuit reads. “The food processing plants which Defendant purchases their meat from, including those in Dakota County Minnesota, fail to adhere to the kosher standards in numerous respects.”

The suit went on to accuse ConAgra Foods – the business designation of Hebrew National – of mistreating its employees, especially its kosher supervisors and slaughterers.

According to MSNBC, the plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against further mislabeling. The suit additionally seeks class-action status for U.S. purchasers of Hebrew National products over the last four years, and alleges negligence and violations of state consumer fraud laws.

In response to the suit ConAgra spokeswoman Teresa Paulsen said in a statement on Monday:

“While we can’t comment on pending litigation, we stand behind the quality of Hebrew National and its kosher status.”

The Hebrew National lawsuit is the latest this year in a series of suits against well known consumer products that have failed to “deliver as advertised.”

In May, the FTC ruled that pomegranate juice maker POM halt all claims of health benefits and performance for its beverage after the company was unable to provide adequate evidence to back up the its superfood claims.