The American fast food chains McDonald's and Wendy's were sued for misleading consumers with advertising images of hamburgers that look bigger and more delicious than they really are when purchasing them in restaurants.
Federal Judge for the District of New York, Héctor González, dismissed the lawsuit accusing the iconic chains. He argued that advertising on both companies' websites provides clear information about the weight of meat and calories in each burger.
McDonald's and Wendy's were sued by Justin Chimienti, but Judge Gonzalez stated that the complaint failed to show that the ads would mislead a reasonable customer.
He said the advertising tactics employed are similar to the widespread use of models in other industries to make products more attractive and desirable.
As highlightedAP, this lawsuit joins a series of similar cases recently filed by New York attorney James Kelly against several fast food companies. Among those companies are Burger King, Taco Bell and Arby's.
Recent years have seen an increase in lawsuits against food and beverage companies. They are accused of deceiving consumers with the advertising of their products, either by having fewer grams or by proposing artificial flavors such as real "vanilla."
A law firm that tracks such class action lawsuits notes that 214 cases were filed against food and beverage companies in 2022 and 101 in the first six months of 2023, compared to just 45 in 2010.
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