The Chobani phthalates lawsuit is a proposed class action filed in April 2025 in federal court in San Diego, claiming that two Chobani plain Greek yogurts labeled as containing “only natural ingredients” actually contain synthetic plastic chemicals that leach from the packaging. In April 2026, a judge allowed most of the case to move forward, rejecting Chobani’s attempt to dismiss it.
What the Lawsuit Claims
Plaintiff Amy Wysocki filed the complaint on April 16, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. It targets two products by name: Chobani Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt and Chobani Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt. The case is Wysocki v. Chobani LLC, No. 3:25-cv-00907-JES-VET, assigned to Judge Janis L. Sammartino.1ClassAction.org. Wysocki v. Chobani LLC Complaint
The complaint relies on independent testing by an organization called PlasticList, reported in December 2024, which detected four chemicals in the yogurt: di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DEHT). The suit does not specify the concentration levels found, only that the four chemicals were present.2CaseFilingsAlert. Toxic Chemicals in Chobani Yogurts Class Action Complaint
Wysocki alleges the packaging is the likely source. Most Chobani yogurt containers are made from polypropylene (#5 plastic), and the complaint says phthalates used as catalysts during polypropylene production can migrate from the container into the food. The core legal claim is that the “only natural ingredients” statement on the front label and lid is false and misleading, because synthetic phthalates were never disclosed. Wysocki says she would not have bought the yogurt, or would not have paid the same price, had she known.3ClassAction.org. Toxic Man-Made Chemicals Found in Certain Natural Chobani Yogurts, Class Action Lawsuit Alleges
The Health Concerns Behind the Case
The complaint describes phthalates as endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can interfere with the body’s hormonal systems, and it ties specific chemicals to specific concerns:
- DEHP is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a “probable human carcinogen.” The complaint also links it to liver, kidney, and immune system problems, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, pregnancy complications, and earlier menopause.
- DBP is linked in the complaint to reproductive and developmental harm.
- DEP is associated with male reproductive toxicity, developmental effects, and liver damage.
The complaint argues that even low-dose exposure can cause harm and cites physician and researcher concern about effects on neurological development.2CaseFilingsAlert. Toxic Chemicals in Chobani Yogurts Class Action Complaint
Where the Case Stands
Chobani moved to dismiss on June 11, 2025. After briefing and oral argument on August 13, 2025, Judge Sammartino issued a mixed ruling on April 6, 2026, that largely kept the case alive.4Courthouse News Service. Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion to Dismiss, Wysocki v. Chobani
The court found Wysocki had standing to sue. A consumer who paid more than she otherwise would have, or who would not have bought the product at all but for the company’s allegedly false statements, has suffered enough economic harm to bring the case. The court also held that the complaint satisfied the heightened pleading standard for fraud claims under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b), with one exception: allegations tied to DBP were dismissed as insufficiently specific. Wysocki was given until May 1, 2026, to file an amended complaint addressing that gap.
The most consequential piece of the ruling for what comes next is the court’s view of the label itself. Judge Sammartino wrote that it is “plausible that a reasonable consumer would understand the Product’s ‘only natural ingredients’ statement to mean that it does not contain any ‘non-natural ingredients,'” including phthalates. That reading means the label claim will be tested against the presence of synthetic chemicals rather than dismissed as marketing puffery.
How This Fits With FDA Rules on Phthalates
The FDA prohibits phthalates from being directly added to food but currently authorizes nine phthalates for food contact applications, such as packaging and processing equipment. In a final rule effective May 2022, the agency revoked authorization for 23 phthalates the industry had already stopped using.5U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Phthalates in Food Packaging and Food Contact Applications
The FDA denied a 2016 citizen petition seeking a broader ban, concluding the science did not support treating all 28 phthalates as a single class, and it upheld that denial as recently as October 2024. Phthalates remain on the FDA’s list of chemicals in the food supply under active review.
On May 27, 2026, the FDA released a scientific evaluation proposing to group four phthalates, including DEHP, for cumulative risk assessment. If the agency ultimately treats these chemicals as a group rather than individually, stricter safety thresholds could follow. The comment period runs through June 26, 2026.6U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Advances Post-Market Review of Phthalates Used in Food Contact Materials The lawsuit does not depend on the outcome of that review; it is proceeding under state consumer protection and fraud theories tied to the “only natural ingredients” labeling.
Who the Case Covers
As pleaded, the case is a proposed class action limited to two products: Chobani Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt and Chobani Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt. Other Chobani yogurts, flavored varieties, and non-yogurt products such as oat milk, creamers, and coffee are not part of the complaint. The class has not been certified; certification, if it happens, comes later in the litigation. The complaint’s theory of harm is economic (paying for a product based on an allegedly false label), not personal injury from consuming the yogurt.
If you bought either of the two named products in reliance on the “only natural ingredients” statement, you would potentially fall within the proposed class if the court later certifies one. Until then, the case remains at the pleading stage, with the amended complaint on DBP and Chobani’s response setting the next round of activity.