Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Allulose Lawsuits, Did You Buy “Zero Sugar” Snacks? — Alexander v. Trader Joe’s Company, No. 1:26-cv-11329

Alexander v. Trader Joe’s Company, No. 1:26-cv-11329, is a putative class action over labels that say no sugar or zero sugar on food that contains allulose. If you bought “sugar-free” snacks and later wondered what was in them, you weren’t imagining it. PIM Brands, the company behind Welch’s snacks, faces similar suits. Here’s what that means for you.

Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Allulose Lawsuits — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Lawsuit Filed	Trader Joe’s: September 16, 2026 (UNVERIFIED — docket not pulled; date comes from secondary reports). Welch’s/PIM Brands cases: UNVERIFIED — filing dates not confirmed from dockets
Defendant	Trader Joe’s Company; PIM Brands Inc.; Promotion In Motion Inc.; Chobani LLC; Linus Technology entities; Goli Nutrition Inc.
Alleged Harm	“Zero sugar” or “sugar free” style claims on products that contain allulose
Law Alleged	State consumer protection laws, with federal labeling rules (21 C.F.R. § 101.9) as the yardstick. Specific statutes per case: UNVERIFIED — complaints not pulled
Who Is Affected	Buyers of the challenged products. Class definitions and class periods: UNVERIFIED — complaints not pulled
Court & Case Number	Ten cases in six federal districts. Full list below
Current Stage	Early. These are putative class actions and no class is certified in any of them (dockets not individually checked)
Lead Plaintiff Deadline	N/A — that deadline applies to securities cases only
Settlement Status	No settlement found in the sources reviewed
Last Updated	September 30, 2026

Trader Joe’s, Welch’s and Other Allulose Defendants — Where Each Case Sits

Case	Court	Case No.
Pardo-Manrique v. Chobani LLC	M.D. Fla.	6:26-cv-02009
Dash v. Linus Technology Inc.	M.D. Fla.	5:26-cv-646
McCarthy v. Linus Technology Mergersub LLC	C.D. Cal.	2:26-cv-09958
Yovino v. Linus Technology Mergersub LLC	N.D. Cal.	3:26-cv-08834
Mercado v. Goli Nutrition Inc.	C.D. Cal.	2:26-cv-09807
Ross v. PIM Brands Inc.	E.D.N.Y.	2:26-cv-05551
Santoyo v. PIM Brands Inc.	N.D. Ill.	1:26-cv-11316
Alexander, et al. v. Trader Joe’s Company	N.D. Ill.	1:26-cv-11329
Maghoney v. Promotion In Motion Inc., et al.	S.D. Cal.	3:26-cv-05235-GPC-AHG
Feliciano v. Promotion In Motion Inc.	E.D.N.Y.	1:26-cv-05405

Products challenged in each case: UNVERIFIED — complaints not pulled from PACER.

Who Are Trader Joe’s and Welch’s, and Why Are They Being Sued Over Allulose?

Trader Joe’s puts its own name on much of what it sells, so the label on the bag is its label. PIM Brands makes snacks sold under the Welch’s name, which puts the fruit-snack label in its hands. Each one controls the front of its own package, and that’s the thing these suits go after.

If you’ve ever grabbed either brand because the front said low or zero sugar, you’re the shopper these complaints describe.

What Did Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Do to Sugar-Free Snack Buyers?

Allulose tastes like sugar. It has almost no calories, and in 2020 the FDA said it wouldn’t act against companies that left it out of the Total Sugars and Added Sugars lines on the Nutrition Facts panel. But that was a promise about enforcement, not a change to the written rules.

Then came July 27, 2026. In Franco v. Chobani, the Seventh Circuit held that “Allulose is a sugar under the relevant federal regulation.” The yogurt in that case had four grams of allulose per serving, and the court let the false-advertising claims go forward without deciding whether Chobani is actually liable.

Plaintiffs’ firms moved fast after that. The new complaints follow a near-identical template, arguing that a “zero sugar” claim can’t sit on a package when allulose is an ingredient. If you’re wondering what it costs to be part of a case like this, read Do I Have to Pay to Join a Class Action Lawsuit? Costs, Fees & Taxes.

Honestly, the ruling looks bigger than it is. One appeals court opened the door, and it didn’t decide whether any of these companies did anything wrong.

Are You Part of the Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Allulose Lawsuits?

Am I part of the Trader Joe’s lawsuit? Here’s exactly how to check.

Nobody is formally “in” yet, because no class has been certified. But these are the people the complaints are aimed at:

• Shoppers who bought a challenged Trader Joe’s product (which one and when: UNVERIFIED until the complaint is pulled)
• Anyone who picked up Welch’s-branded snacks named in the PIM Brands or Promotion In Motion cases
• People who bought from the other named defendants, including Chobani, Linus Technology and Goli, over the same kind of label claim
• Buyers who live in the states each complaint names (state lists: UNVERIFIED)

You likely wouldn’t be covered if the product had no allulose in the ingredient list, or if you bought it outside the period a complaint defines.

Check your pantry. Does the label say zero sugar, and is allulose in the ingredients?

Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Allulose Buyers Outside Illinois — Are You Still Covered?

These are federal cases, but each one only reaches the states its complaint names. Two sit in the Northern District of Illinois, inside the Seventh Circuit, where Franco is binding. The other eight are in Florida, California and New York, where it’s persuasive but not controlling.

That split is what most people miss. Where your case is filed may matter as much as what’s on the label.

Not sure if you qualify for the Trader Joe’s allulose lawsuit? A free legal consultation with a consumer fraud attorney can help before any class is certified or a settlement is announced.

What Are Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Buyers Asking the Court to Award?

No money yet. No claim form yet.

Damages and restitution are the remedies reported in the Trader Joe’s case (UNVERIFIED — complaint not pulled). No dollar figure is confirmed for any of the ten cases. If you’re searching for a lawsuit settlement check, there isn’t one to find.

What Could Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Buyers Receive If This Settles?

Nobody can say. It would depend on how many people file, what proof is required and what the companies agree to. A consumer rights lawyer can explain how these cases tend to resolve, and that’s a fair question to ask in a free consultation.

What Should Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Shoppers Do Right Now?

1. Don’t panic. Most shoppers need to do nothing yet, since there’s no claim form and no certified class.
2. Save your proof: receipts, app or loyalty-card purchase history, and photos of the front label and ingredient list.
3. Write down what you paid and how often you bought. A future claim may ask for it.
4. Ignore the lead plaintiff deadline. It’s a securities rule and doesn’t apply here.
5. Watch the docket. The Trader Joe’s case is in the Northern District of Illinois, and its number is in the table above.
6. Know you can sue on your own instead of waiting. Time limits vary by state, so ask an attorney sooner rather than later.

Two minutes with your receipts today beats hunting for proof after a claim form opens.

Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Allulose Lawsuits — Full Timeline

Milestone	Date
Class / harm period begins	UNVERIFIED — class periods not confirmed
FDA says it won’t enforce against excluding allulose from sugar counts	2020
Franco v. Chobani filed in N.D. Ill.	2023 (per case number 1:23-cv-03047)
Seventh Circuit hears arguments in Franco	February 20, 2026
Seventh Circuit decides Franco	July 27, 2026
Trader Joe’s lawsuit filed	September 16, 2026 (UNVERIFIED — docket not pulled)
Welch’s / PIM Brands lawsuits filed	UNVERIFIED — dockets not pulled
Class / harm period ends	UNVERIFIED — class periods not confirmed
Lead plaintiff deadline	N/A — securities cases only
Next scheduled hearing	UNVERIFIED — no hearing dates confirmed
Expected resolution	UNVERIFIED — no schedule confirmed

Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Allulose Lawsuits — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 1:26-cv-11329

Is there a class action lawsuit against Trader Joe’s for allulose right now?

Yes, a putative one. Alexander v. Trader Joe’s Company is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. No class has been certified, and the company hasn’t been found liable of anything.

Do I need to do anything right now to be part of the Trader Joe’s lawsuit?

No. There’s no claim form and no opt-in step, since the Northern District of Illinois hasn’t certified a class. Save your receipts and label photos, and keep an eye on the docket.

When will the Welch’s allulose case settle?

Nobody knows. No settlement turned up for the PIM Brands cases in the Eastern District of New York or the Northern District of Illinois. The Seventh Circuit only decided Franco on July 27, 2026, so these suits are at the starting line.

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

Yes. A putative class action doesn’t stop you from suing on your own. Time limits vary by state, so a consumer fraud attorney can tell you whether waiting on the Illinois case puts your claim at risk.

How will I find out if the Trader Joe’s lawsuit settles?

If the parties settle, the court would have to approve a notice to class members, and an administrator would usually set up a claim site. Until then, the Northern District of Illinois docket is the place to watch.

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

It doesn’t matter here. Lead plaintiff deadlines belong to securities cases. The Trader Joe’s complaint was filed by its own named shoppers, and no lead plaintiff deadline applies to a food labeling suit in the Northern District of Illinois.

What specific laws does Trader Joe’s allegedly violate?

The complaints rely on state consumer protection laws, with federal labeling rules as the standard. The Seventh Circuit pointed to 21 C.F.R. § 101.9, which bars “sugar free” claims at half a gram of sugar or more. Statutes per case: UNVERIFIED.

How much could Trader Joe’s and Welch’s buyers get if this case settles?

No figure exists. No settlement amount has been confirmed for the Trader Joe’s case or any of the nine others. Any future payout would depend on the settlement terms, the proof required and how many people file.

Sources Used in This Trader Joe’s and Welch’s Allulose Lawsuit Article

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit — Franco v. Chobani, LLC, No. 25-2087, opinion, July 27, 2026: https://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Franco-v-Chobani_7th-circuit.pdf 
• U.S. District Courts (PACER) — dockets for the ten cases listed above
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration — The Declaration of Allulose and Calories from Allulose on Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels: Guidance for Industry

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. Facts checked against the Seventh Circuit’s opinion in Franco v. Chobani, LLC and the federal case numbers listed above, as of September 30, 2026. Last Updated: September 30, 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.