Costco $4.99 chicken has preservatives

[Fernando]

Costco sued over its $4.99 rotisserie chicken. Here's why.​

Disgruntled customers have filed a proposed class action lawsuit accusing wholesale retailer Costco of falsely advertising that its rotisserie chicken contains “no preservatives”.

Filed on Jan. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, the complaint, obtained by USA TODAY, alleges that Costco’s Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken contains two added preservatives, sodium phosphate and carrageenan.

The proposed class alleges that Costco “has systemically cheated customers out of tens—if not hundreds—of millions of dollars by falsely advertising its Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken as containing ‘no preservatives.’”

The lawsuit, brought on by two women in California, accuses Costco of violating multiple consumer protection laws, including in California and Washington state, where the wholesale retailer is headquartered.

Costco said in a statement to USA TODAY on Jan. 28 that the company has removed the signage.

In addition to accusing Costco of violating false advertising and consumer protection laws, the complaint says the retailer broke unfair competition laws by engaging in "unfair business acts and practices by tricking Plaintiffs and members of the California Subclass into purchasing or alternatively paying a premium for its rotisserie chicken by advertising the product with ‘no preservatives.’”

Despite the two California women initiating the lawsuit, both said they plan to purchase Costco's rotisserie chicken again, with one giving the caveat that she “cannot rely on Costco’s preservative-related representations for the product unless those representations are accurate and consistent with the product’s ingredients.”

 

[IlliniApp]

I wonder if it tests positive for chicken.

 

[Fernando]

Even though it's cheap, my wife had told me to stop buying it long time ago because it doesn't taste right, not like the high quality chicken she's used to.

 

[Charles West]

What are they suing for? Where are the damages? The sudden realization to a couple of dim bulbs that Costco sells cheap food? Both of the things listed are used as thickening agents so the spices stick to the wet, cold chicken when they put them in the rotissere, quality all the way. Case dismissed.

 

[Dublin ohio]

What do you expect for $4.99. On a retail level they are losing at least $3-$4 per chicken.

 

[Fernando]

What do you expect for $4.99. On a retail level they are losing at least $3-$4 per chicken.

Costco losing money with those chickens. They tried cutting the costs with flimsy plastic bags. And last time I bought, the chicken looked smaller. It's amazing when there's a long line of shoppers waiting for the next batch of chickens to be brought out of the oven.