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Whole Foods class action lawsuit is currently open:
Those who meet eligibility criteria should apply before the deadline November 13, 2025. A Whole Foods Hot Cocoa settlement update confirms that the company agreed to a $650,000 class action resolution over claims its 365 Organic Hot Cocoa canisters contained misleading empty space (slack-fill). The Whole Foods Hot Cocoa lawsuit settlement amount allocates $100,000 directly to consumers who purchased a 12 oz canister of “365 Organic Hot Cocoa Rich Chocolate Flavor Mix” or “365 Everyday Value Organic Hot Cocoa Rich Chocolate Flavor Mix” in California between November 3, 2017 and March 13, 2025. Approximately 30,460 Amazon customers will receive automatic payments, while others must submit claims. As part of the settlement, Whole Foods will also add a fill line to product labels sold in California to indicate the actual contents inside. These labeling changes must be implemented within one year and maintained for four years. Eligible claimants are expected to receive about $2.90 each, depending on how many people file. The settlement covers an estimated 156,662 class members across California. Proof of purchase is not required for up to two claims per household. The deadline to submit a claim is October 14, 2025, and payments will be distributed after court approval and resolution of any appeals. Find out if your eligible--submit your claim before the deadline!
Open Class Actions > Whole Foods Class Action
Whole Foods Class Action Lawsuit
Lawsuit Name
Goodwin v. Whole Foods Market, Inc., et al.
Court
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Case Number
21STCV40456
Judge
Honorable Carolyn B. Kuhl
Plaintiffs
Jennifer Goodwin
Defendants
Mrs. Gooch's Natural Food Markets, Inc., Whole Foods Market California, Inc., Whole Foods Market, Inc
Key Allegation
Whole Foods sold hot cocoa in oversized canisters with deceptive empty space misleading consumers about quantity.
Whole Foods Class Action Settlement - $650,000
A Whole Foods Hot Cocoa settlement update confirms that the company agreed to a $650,000 class action resolution over claims its 365 Organic Hot Cocoa canisters contained misleading empty space (slack-fill). The Whole Foods Hot Cocoa lawsuit settlement amount allocates $100,000 directly to consumers who purchased a 12 oz canister of “365 Organic Hot Cocoa Rich Chocolate Flavor Mix” or “365 Everyday Value Organic Hot Cocoa Rich Chocolate Flavor Mix” in California between November 3, 2017 and March 13, 2025. Approximately 30,460 Amazon customers will receive automatic payments, while others must submit claims.
As part of the settlement, Whole Foods will also add a fill line to product labels sold in California to indicate the actual contents inside. These labeling changes must be implemented within one year and maintained for four years. Eligible claimants are expected to receive about $2.90 each, depending on how many people file. The settlement covers an estimated 156,662 class members across California. Proof of purchase is not required for up to two claims per household.
The deadline to submit a claim is October 14, 2025, and payments will be distributed after court approval and resolution of any appeals.
As part of the settlement, Whole Foods will also add a fill line to product labels sold in California to indicate the actual contents inside. These labeling changes must be implemented within one year and maintained for four years. Eligible claimants are expected to receive about $2.90 each, depending on how many people file. The settlement covers an estimated 156,662 class members across California. Proof of purchase is not required for up to two claims per household.
The deadline to submit a claim is October 14, 2025, and payments will be distributed after court approval and resolution of any appeals.
Deadline for filing a claim: November 13, 2025
Organic Hot Cocoa Class Action Payout: $2.9 - $5.8 per Household
Claimants in this settlement may receive between $2 and $5 per person, depending on the number of valid claims submitted. The Whole Foods settlement amount per person will be finalized after all claims are reviewed. Each household may submit up to two claims without proof of purchase; three or more require receipts.
Payments will be distributed within 30 days after the settlement becomes effective, which is estimated to be in March 2026, following the final approval hearing on December 3, 2025. Settlement payments may be considered taxable income. If you haven’t received your payment by April 2026, contact the Whole Foods settlement administrator for assistance.
Payments will be distributed within 30 days after the settlement becomes effective, which is estimated to be in March 2026, following the final approval hearing on December 3, 2025. Settlement payments may be considered taxable income. If you haven’t received your payment by April 2026, contact the Whole Foods settlement administrator for assistance.
Slack Fill Class Action Payouts
$29
$10
$5
Average Payouts
Organic Hot Cocoa Class Action Eligibility
Understanding Whole Foods Hot Cocoa class action eligibility comes down to whether your purchase fits the court-approved class definition. The claim form verifies:
Product match – Only the two 12 oz canisters are covered.
Location – California store purchase, or remote purchase while present in California.
Date range – Between November 3, 2017 and March 13, 2025.
Court filings explain these limits exist because the case was brought under California consumer protection laws. That’s why out-of-state purchases don’t qualify. The form also tracks household claim limits (2 without proof, 3+ with receipts) to prevent inflated claims. These details ensure payments are fairly distributed to verified Whole Foods Hot Cocoa class action claimants.
Product match – Only the two 12 oz canisters are covered.
Location – California store purchase, or remote purchase while present in California.
Date range – Between November 3, 2017 and March 13, 2025.
Court filings explain these limits exist because the case was brought under California consumer protection laws. That’s why out-of-state purchases don’t qualify. The form also tracks household claim limits (2 without proof, 3+ with receipts) to prevent inflated claims. These details ensure payments are fairly distributed to verified Whole Foods Hot Cocoa class action claimants.
Purchased one or more 12 oz canisters of 365 Organic Hot Cocoa Rich Chocolate Flavor Mix OR 365 Everyday Value Organic Hot Cocoa Rich Chocolate Flavor Mix
Purchase made at a Whole Foods Market store in California
Purchase made online while physically present in California
Made purchases between November 3, 2017 and March 13, 2025
Organic Hot Cocoa Class Action Claim Form
The Organic Hot Cocoa class action claim form is quick and simple with Chimo. Some settlements take longer due to court approval, appeals, or fraud checks, but Chimo streamlines the process so you can get your share fas. Here's how to file a claim against Organic Hot Cocoa:
1
Check eligibility now by answering a few quick questions
2
Tell us where you want your check sent
3
Submit your form before November 13, 2025
You'll receive confirmation and updates on your claim status.
FAQ
This lawsuit alleges that Whole Foods Market sold 12 oz canisters of hot cocoa mix that contained approximately 44% empty space (called "slack-fill"). Plaintiff Jennifer Goodwin claims this misled consumers into thinking they were purchasing more product than they actually received, violating California consumer protection laws including the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), Unfair Competition Law (UCL), and False Advertising Law (FAL).
It depends on your situation. If you purchased the product on Amazon.com and they have your contact information (estimated 30,460 customers), you will automatically receive a settlement payment without submitting a claim form. All other class members must submit a claim form by October 14, 2025. Proof of purchase is generally not required, except if more than 2 claims are submitted per household.
As part of the settlement, Whole Foods agreed to add a "fill line" to the product's label within one year of the settlement becoming effective. This fill line will visually indicate the approximate amount of contents within the container for units sold in California, helping consumers understand how much product is actually inside the opaque canister. This labeling change must remain in effect for four years.
Due to the unique circumstances of this case, Amazon.com agreed to provide customer contact information for approximately 30,460 people who purchased the product through their platform during the class period. These customers will automatically receive settlement payments without filing claim forms because Amazon can identify them and provide their mailing addresses to the settlement administrator.
All other class members (estimated 126,202 people) must submit claim forms because there's no practical way to identify them without going through over 1,000 different financial institutions that processed credit card transactions. The plaintiff's expert analysis revealed transactions involving 1,445 different financial institutions, including 986 under Visa and 354 under Mastercard networks. Serving subpoenas on all these institutions would cost over $60,000 just in service fees and could take years to complete.
All other class members (estimated 126,202 people) must submit claim forms because there's no practical way to identify them without going through over 1,000 different financial institutions that processed credit card transactions. The plaintiff's expert analysis revealed transactions involving 1,445 different financial institutions, including 986 under Visa and 354 under Mastercard networks. Serving subpoenas on all these institutions would cost over $60,000 just in service fees and could take years to complete.
This settlement has an unusual "nuclear option" - if 1,000 or more Settlement Class Members submit valid requests for exclusion (opt-out), either the plaintiff or defendants can terminate the entire settlement agreement within 20 days of receiving notice. This is a relatively low threshold compared to the estimated 156,662 class members, meaning that if less than 1% of the class opts out, the whole settlement could collapse.
If this termination threshold is triggered, the parties would return to their legal positions as of February 13, 2024, essentially restarting the litigation from scratch. This provision gives significant power to a relatively small number of class members to potentially derail the entire settlement, which is unusual in class action cases where opt-out thresholds are typically much higher or non-existent.
If this termination threshold is triggered, the parties would return to their legal positions as of February 13, 2024, essentially restarting the litigation from scratch. This provision gives significant power to a relatively small number of class members to potentially derail the entire settlement, which is unusual in class action cases where opt-out thresholds are typically much higher or non-existent.
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