Dos Toros sued in class action alleging deceptive "naturally" and "humanely" raised meat claims

Dos Toros allegedly sources pork and chicken from inhumane facilities that provide no access to the outdoors

NEW YORK, March 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new class action lawsuit has been brought against Dos Toros, a restaurant chain headquartered in Manhattan. Lead plaintiff Lauren Prescott alleges that Dos Toros is in violation of state consumer protection laws because of the company's deceptive claims that its pork and chicken products are "naturally" and "humanely" raised.

The complaint contends that Dos Toros uses pork and chicken from suppliers that raise animals in unnatural and inhumane industrial facilities where animals have no access to the outdoors. The action was filed Thursday, March 24, on behalf of Prescott by Richman Law & Policy in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Prescott is seeking the court's approval to represent a class of consumers who purchased Dos Toros' pork or chicken products based on the "naturally" and "humanely" raised marketing.

The lawsuit alleges that Dos Toros' in-store signage prominently advertises its chicken and pork as being "naturally and humanely raised" and "100% naturally raised." The suit further alleges that, despite these representations, Dos Toros actually sources chicken and pork from indoor industrial facilities where animals are routinely raised and slaughtered in inhumane conditions of extreme confinement that prevent the expression of their natural behaviors.

The 23-page complaint alleges that inspection reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture detail the extreme inhumane treatment of animals raised by Dos Toros' suppliers, including pigs being deliberately hit by workers and chickens being suffocated and boiled alive.

The lawsuit alleges that Dos Toros knows that American consumers increasingly and consciously seek out, and will pay more for, animal products marketed as "naturally" and "humanely" sourced. A 2015 survey found that 84% of consumers believe it is important to improve living conditions for farmed animals. The complaint also cites to studies showing that consumers believe that animal products marketed as "naturally raised," and "humanely raised" come from animals who had access to the outdoors.

SOURCE Richman Law & Policy