• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
RetailWalmart

Walmart Is Getting Sued for Selling Cheese Filled with Wood

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 25, 2016, 12:04 PM ET
Parmesan Cheese
Bowl of fresh parmesan cheese. (Photo by: MyLoupe/UIG via Getty Images)Photograph by MyLoupe—UIG via Getty Images

Walmart (WMT) is getting sued for a surprising reason, especially for cheese-lovers.

The retailer has reportedly received a lawsuit for selling Parmesan cheese with wood filler, Bloomberg reported. The cheese sold in stores had been labeled pure and 100% Parmesan, but the Walmart Great Value band was ultimately found to contain other ingredients.

In fact, there was reportedly as much as 10% cellulose, which is a wood-based agent for anti-clumping, found in the product, according to the complaint, which was filed in a Manhattan federal court. A customer Marc Moschetta filed the lawsuit, saying, “the 100% representation was false and mis-characterized the amount and percentage of Parmesan cheese in the container.”

Moschetta wants a class action lawsuit in order to press Walmart on the matter, Bloomberg reported. The move comes after an earlier investigation by the publication as well as another investigation by the Food and Drug Administration, as Fortune wrote earlier this month.

There was reportedly a similar lawsuit filed against Kraft (KRFT) last week in San Francisco.

“We know earning customer trust starts with high standards for the products we carry. We take this matter seriously,” Randy Hargrove, a spokesperson for the retailer, said in a statement to Fortune. “We will review the allegations once we have received the complaint and will respond appropriately with the court.”

This post has been updated to include Walmart’s comment to Fortune.

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

retail sales
EconomyConsumer Spending
Retail sales tick up 0.6% in February before Iran war, gas price spike
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressApril 1, 2026
9 hours ago
Gen Z shoppers are actually more deliberate than baby boomers and agonize over their cart for days
RetailGen Z
Gen Z shoppers are actually more deliberate than baby boomers and agonize over their cart for days
By Jeena Sharma and Retail BrewApril 1, 2026
11 hours ago
Hershey is moving back to the original recipe for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups after the chocolate’s grandson blasted them last month
Lawchocolate
Hershey is moving back to the original recipe for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups after the chocolate’s grandson blasted them last month
By The Associated Press and Dee-Ann DurbinApril 1, 2026
12 hours ago
Five hard lessons from Allbirds’ 99% stock plunge and $39 million fire sale
Retailchief executive officer (CEO)
Five hard lessons from Allbirds’ 99% stock plunge and $39 million fire sale
By Phil WahbaApril 1, 2026
13 hours ago
The beauty counter is now on your For You page as Ulta Beauty joins TikTok Shop, betting on the platform reshaping how America consumes
RetailTikTok
The beauty counter is now on your For You page as Ulta Beauty joins TikTok Shop, betting on the platform reshaping how America consumes
By Catherina GioinoMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
McCormick combines with Unilever’s food division and adds Hellmann’s and Knorr to its brands
Arts & EntertainmentUnilever
McCormick combines with Unilever’s food division and adds Hellmann’s and Knorr to its brands
By The Associated PressMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
15 hours ago
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
16 hours ago
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
Personal Finance
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.