Campbell’s Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Lawsuit, Were You Affected? Heiland v. The Campbell’s Company, No. 1:26-cv-06598-EPG

If you bought Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Sea Salt with a Hint of Pink Peppercorn chips because the label promised avocado oil — you’re likely covered by this claim. A new lawsuit says lab testing found something else in the fryer. The case is Heiland v. The Campbell’s Company, No. 1:26-cv-06598-EPG, filed August 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Campbell’s Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Lawsuit — Key Facts

Lawsuit Filed	August 18, 2026
Defendant	The Campbell’s Company, d/b/a Kettle Brand
Alleged Harm	“Made with Avocado Oil” labeling on Kettle chips despite testing allegedly showing other oils
Law Alleged	California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, and False Advertising Law
Who Is Affected	Purchasers of Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Sea Salt with a Hint of Pink Peppercorn Potato Chips
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California (Fresno) — No. 1:26-cv-06598-EPG, before Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean
Current Stage	Early stage — complaint filed, Campbell’s has not yet responded
Lead Plaintiff Deadline	N/A — this is a consumer class action, not a securities case
Settlement Status	No settlement. No claim form exists.
Last Updated	September 9, 2026

Who Is The Campbell’s Company and Why Are They Being Sued Over Avocado Oil?

The Campbell’s Company — renamed from Campbell Soup Company in 2024 — picked up Kettle Brand through its 2018 purchase of Snyder’s-Lance, which had acquired Kettle’s parent Diamond Foods two years earlier. Kettle built its identity on being the “natural” potato chip, and its avocado oil line leans hard on that reputation to charge a premium over standard chips. That premium is the injury at the center of this case: the complaint says shoppers paid extra for an ingredient claim the product didn’t actually deliver.

What Did Campbell’s Do to Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Buyers?

The lawsuit claims Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Sea Salt with a Hint of Pink Peppercorn chips are marketed as “Made with Avocado Oil” — front of bag, avocado graphic included — while the ingredient list names avocado oil as the only oil used. Plaintiff Diana Heiland, of Fresno, says she bought the chips specifically to avoid seed oils, which she says carry harmful health effects, and trusted that label to mean exactly what it says.

Her complaint leans on a July 2026 peer-reviewed study from UC Davis food scientists, published in the journal Applied Food Research. Researchers tested commercially sold products labeled as containing a single oil to see if the chemistry actually matched. The results weren’t close. The study found that the overwhelming majority of avocado oil-labeled products tested — including the Kettle chips — showed a chemical fingerprint inconsistent with authentic avocado oil.

That’s a serious number to build a false-advertising claim on. But this exact courthouse has seen this exact fight before, and it didn’t end well for the plaintiff.

Are You Part of the Campbell’s Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Lawsuit?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• Shoppers who bought Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Sea Salt with a Hint of Pink Peppercorn chips
• Anyone who chose this product over cheaper chips specifically because of the avocado oil claim
• People who paid the price premium — Heiland’s complaint pegs it around $0.62 to $0.83 an ounce, against roughly $0.36 an ounce for a standard vegetable-oil chip like Lay’s Classic
• Buyers of other Kettle Brand flavors not labeled “Made with Avocado Oil” are not automatically included — check your specific bag

Campbell’s has not filed a response and disputes nothing in court yet, because there’s nothing on the record from them yet.

Campbell’s Kettle Brand Buyers Outside California — Are You Still Covered?

Heiland is asking the court to certify both a California subclass and a nationwide class, so this isn’t limited to California purchases the way some state-law claims are. Whether a judge actually certifies a nationwide class is a separate question, and an early one. If you bought the product anywhere in the country, keep your receipt for now.

Not sure if you qualify for the Campbell’s Kettle Brand lawsuit? A free consultation with a consumer fraud attorney can help you sort out your specific purchase history before anything moves forward.

What Are Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Buyers Asking the Court to Award?

No money yet. No claim form yet. Heiland is asking the court to declare Campbell’s labeling unlawful, order the company to stop the “Made with Avocado Oil” marketing, and award restitution plus attorneys’ fees and costs — not a fixed payout to class members.

What Could Kettle Brand Buyers Receive If This Settles?

Impossible to predict this early. It depends on how many people join, what the evidence shows once testing gets litigated on both sides, and whether Campbell’s settles at all. Worth knowing: a nearly identical theory against a different defendant already lost in this exact court. In Hawkins v. Walmart, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-00374-KES-SKO, the Eastern District of California dismissed a claim that Walmart’s avocado oil was adulterated with other oils — brought under these same three California statutes. That doesn’t decide Heiland’s case, but it’s the closest comparison a judge here will have on the desk.

What Should Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Buyers Do Right Now?

1. Most people don’t need to do anything yet. No forms, no rush.
2. Save your receipt, loyalty-card history, or the bag itself — the front label and the ingredient panel both matter here.
3. Note which flavor you bought. Only the Sea Salt with a Hint of Pink Peppercorn variety is named in this complaint so far.
4. There’s no lead plaintiff deadline in a case like this — that concept only applies to securities fraud cases.
5. Watch the docket: Heiland v. The Campbell’s Company, No. 1:26-cv-06598-EPG, Eastern District of California.
6. If your losses are significant and you’d rather not wait on a class outcome, ask an attorney whether an individual claim makes sense for you.

Campbell’s Kettle Brand Avocado Oil Lawsuit — Full Timeline

Milestone	Date
UC Davis avocado oil authenticity study published, Applied Food Research	July 2026
Hawkins v. Walmart avocado oil claim dismissed, same district	February 13, 2025
Parallel suit filed against Utz Brands over Boulder Canyon avocado oil chips	August 13, 2026
Complaint filed against Campbell’s	August 18, 2026
Campbell’s response	UNVERIFIED — not yet filed
Next scheduled hearing	UNVERIFIED — not yet scheduled
Expected resolution	UNVERIFIED — case is in its earliest stage

This isn’t an isolated filing. Days before Heiland sued Campbell’s, a nearly identical case landed against Utz Brands over its Boulder Canyon avocado oil chips — same UC Davis study, same basic theory. That’s two chip brands hit within a week over the same lab results.

Campbell’s Kettle Brand Avocado Oil — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 1:26-cv-06598-EPG

Is there a class action lawsuit against Campbell’s over Kettle Brand avocado oil chips right now?

 Yes. Heiland v. The Campbell’s Company, No. 1:26-cv-06598-EPG, was filed August 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Do I need to do anything right now to be part of the Kettle Brand lawsuit? 

No. There’s no claim form and no deadline yet. Hold on to your receipts and the bag itself in case that changes.

When will the Campbell’s avocado oil case settle?

 There’s no way to know yet. Campbell’s hasn’t responded to the complaint, and the case hasn’t reached a ruling on the merits, let alone settlement talks.

Can I file my own lawsuit against Campbell’s instead of joining the class? 

Sometimes, depending on how much you spent and where you live. A consumer fraud attorney can tell you whether an individual claim beats waiting on a class outcome.

How will I find out if the Kettle Brand lawsuit settles? 

Class counsel typically notifies identifiable purchasers directly, and coverage like this gets updated as the docket moves. Checking back periodically works too.

What does “lead plaintiff” mean for the Campbell’s case and why does the deadline matter?

 It doesn’t apply here. Lead plaintiff deadlines come from securities-fraud law under the PSLRA. This is a consumer class action, so there’s no such deadline.

What specific laws does Campbell’s allegedly violate? The complaint alleges violations of California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, and False Advertising Law.

How much could Kettle Brand buyers get if this case settles? 

Unknown. A similar avocado oil claim against Walmart was dismissed in this same court in February 2025, which shows Campbell’s has a real shot at getting this thrown out too. No settlement exists, and Campbell’s hasn’t admitted anything.

Sources Used in This Campbell’s Kettle Brand Article

• Courthouse News Service — “Campbell’s faces kettle of trouble over missing avocado oil,” August 2026: https://www.courthousenews.com/campbells-faces-kettle-of-trouble-over-missing-avocado-oil/
• ABA Journal — “Absent avocado oil in Campbell’s chips creates a class action crunch,” August 2026: https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/absent-avocado-oil-in-campbells-chips-creates-a-class-action-crunch
• Perkins Coie — “Notable Ruling Roundup,” on Hawkins v. Walmart, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-00374-KES-SKO dismissal: https://perkinscoie.com/insights/blog/notable-ruling-roundup-15
• Bakery and Snacks — “Avocado oil in snacks: Study and lawsuits allegedly exposes purity problem,” August 2026: https://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Article/2026/08/20/avocado-oil-in-snacks-study-and-lawsuits-allegedly-exposes-purity-problem/

Related reading on AllAboutLawyer.com: LMNT’s “all natural” ingredient lawsuit — a similar case built on the gap between a front-label ingredient claim and lab-tested reality.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against Courthouse News Service’s court reporting, ABA Journal’s case coverage, Perkins Coie’s ruling summary on the related Walmart dismissal, and Bakery and Snacks’ industry reporting, as of September 9, 2026. Last Updated: September 9, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.