Chobani lawsuit: what it claims and who could get paid

What the Chobani lawsuit claims

Chobani introduced a "20G Protein" yogurt line in 2024, including a 32-ounce tub, and puts the 20-gram figure in the name and on the label. The plaintiffs in Lombardo v. Chobani LLC (No. 1:26-cv-07408, Southern District of New York) are Jamie Lombardo and Alexander Mercado. They say the tub doesn't deliver 20 grams in a correctly sized serving.

Their argument is about the serving size, not safety. The complaints don't claim the yogurt is unsafe. The single-serve 6.7-ounce cups aren't challenged. For the 32-ounce tub, the plaintiffs say FDA rules leave manufacturers little discretion, and that Chobani lists a larger serving than the rules allow, which lets each serving show more protein. Chobani has not been found liable.

Why would two grams matter? The complaints say 20 grams per serving has become a benchmark shoppers use to pick protein foods. They cite Chobani's own December 2024 survey, in which 85% of Americans said they wanted to increase their protein intake, and argue that a high-protein label lets a brand charge a higher price. Those are the plaintiffs' arguments about why the label is material, not facts a court has accepted.

The serving-size math in plain English

FDA's reference amount for yogurt, the amount people typically eat in one sitting, is 170 grams, according to the complaints. For a multi-serving tub, the plaintiffs say that amount must be converted to a cup measure and rounded. According to a summary of the Lombardo complaint, 170 grams of this yogurt is about two-thirds of a cup, roughly 169 grams, and a serving that size holds about 17.8 grams of protein, which rounds to 18 grams. Chobani's label instead lists 3/4 cup, or 190 grams, with 20 grams of protein. The earlier Knox complaint used a different cup measure but reached the same figure of about 18 grams. These calculations are the plaintiffs' allegations, not findings by a court.

Who is in the proposed class and who could get paid

The earlier complaints asked the court to certify a nationwide class of people who bought the 32-ounce "20G Protein" tubs, with state subclasses such as New York and Florida in Lombardo. A consolidated amended complaint was filed on Sept. 18, 2026, and we couldn't read it, so the class definition may have changed. No judge has certified any class. Lombardo, as summarized, brings claims under New York's deceptive-practices and false-advertising laws, Florida consumer-protection law and unjust enrichment, and asks the court to order a label change or a reformulation so that a correctly sized serving holds 20 grams.

If a class were certified, or the case settled, buyers of those tubs could be covered. That is a big "if," because many food-labeling suits are dismissed, narrowed or settled before anyone is paid. Nobody can claim money today. There is no settlement fund, no administrator and no claim form, so any website or message offering to file a Chobani claim now is not legitimate. Our guide to spotting settlement scams explains why. The plaintiffs want damages, refunds and a labeling change, but those are requests, not awards.

Where the Chobani lawsuits stand

The consumer suits no longer run separately. On Aug. 19, 2026, Judge John G. Koeltl consolidated Knox, Pitre and Rabinowitz under the name In re Chobani Serving Size Litigation, and on Aug. 28, 2026 he appointed a five-firm executive committee to act as interim class counsel. On Sept. 17, 2026, he folded Lombardo into the same case, and the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on Sept. 18, 2026.

Under the Aug. 19 order, Chobani has 45 days after the amended complaint to respond, which works out to Nov. 2, 2026 unless the court changes the schedule. Expect Chobani to answer or ask the judge to dismiss. Danone's separate suit is before the same judge.

Don't confuse it with the Chobani Zero Sugar case

If you searched "Chobani lawsuit" because of a sugar story, that is a different case. On July 27, 2026, the Seventh Circuit ruled in Franco v. Chobani that a class action over Chobani Zero Sugar yogurt, which contains allulose, can go forward, accepting the FDA's view that total sugars includes allulose. That case is about a "zero sugar" label, not protein. For the background, read why zero sugar labels are drawing lawsuits and whether allulose is a sugar.

What could happen next

After Chobani responds, food-labeling cases are often fought on whether a reasonable shopper would be misled and on whether federal labeling law blocks state claims. If the case survives, the next steps are evidence-sharing, a ruling on class certification and possibly a settlement. The court's leadership order says settlement talks for the consumer plaintiffs go through the executive committee. That road usually takes years. Our explainers on how a class action works and what happens after certification map each stage.

A second or third lawsuit on the same theory doesn't make the claims stronger. Here it has meant the court handles them together.

How to get notified if it settles

Check the Nutrition Facts on your tub: the lawsuits target the 32-ounce size that lists a 3/4-cup serving, not the single-serve cups. Keep your receipts or retailer order history, since a settlement could ask for them. Watch for official notices and read how to get notified of class action settlements. Owed finds settlements you may qualify for as they open and reminds you before deadlines, but you always submit the claim yourself. Owed Pro is $2 for the first week, then $49 per year — one flat membership. Owed never takes a percentage of any payout. Filing directly with an administrator is free. Browse the settlements directory or open the Chobani entry.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Courts decide who is in a class and what anyone is paid.

Glossary

Proposed class action

A lawsuit filed on behalf of many people before a judge has agreed the group can proceed together. Until certification, no class exists.

Serving size

The amount of food the label uses to report nutrition. For multi-serving packages, FDA rules tie it to a household measure such as a cup.

Class certification

A judge's ruling that a case can go forward for a whole group. It comes before any class-wide settlement or trial.

Consolidation

Combining overlapping cases so one judge handles them together, usually to save time and avoid conflicting rulings.

Interim class counsel

Lawyers a judge picks to lead the plaintiffs' side before a class is certified, so one team speaks for everyone.

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