New York consumers who bought Cholula Original Hot Sauce may be covered by a proposed class action alleging McCormick & Company changed the sauce’s ingredients after buying the brand, adding acetic acid and natural flavor, while still labeling it “Original.” No class has been certified and there is nothing to file yet.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes a class action complaint. The statements below are unproven allegations. McCormick & Company, Inc. has not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
What Is This About?
A Brooklyn woman who says Cholula has been her go-to hot sauce for years filed a proposed class action against McCormick & Company, Inc. on August 10, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The case, Wright v. McCormick & Company, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-04870, alleges McCormick reformulated Cholula Original Hot Sauce with cheaper, less traditional ingredients after acquiring the brand in November 2020, while keeping the “Original” wording, the wooden cap and the rest of the familiar label.The complaint says McCormick never told buyers about the change. McCormick has appeared in the case, and the court has not ruled on whether the claims can go forward.
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How the Ingredients Changed, According to the Complaint
The complaint compares the ingredient list before and after McCormick bought Cholula:- Before the acquisition: water, arbol and piquin peppers, salt, vinegar, garlic powder, spices, xanthan gum
- Now: water, arbol and piquin peppers, salt, acetic acid, xanthan gum, spices, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, natural flavor
It also says McCormick removed statements from its website that the sauce is imported from Mexico, and that some buyers have complained on social media that the sauce looks and tastes different.
Why the “Original” Label Matters to the Case
The complaint argues that the front label, which says “Original” and on some sizes “The Original Flavorful Fire,” along with the brand’s description of a generations-old family recipe, tells shoppers they are buying the same sauce as before. It says most shoppers do not compare ingredient lists on old and new bottles, so the change went unnoticed while buyers kept paying the suggested retail price of about $5.99 for a 5-ounce bottle.The plaintiff says she bought a 5-ounce bottle at a Brooklyn grocery store in 2026 and would not have paid that price, or bought it at all, had she known the ingredients had changed.
Who Is in the Proposed Class?
The complaint proposes a New York class of all consumers who bought Cholula Original Hot Sauce in New York during the statute of limitations for each claim. It estimates the class could include hundreds of thousands of people. Buyers outside New York are not part of the proposed class.The claims are brought under New York General Business Law sections 349 and 350, the state’s deceptive practices and false advertising laws. The complaint seeks actual damages and, as statutory damages, $50 per unit under section 349 and $500 per unit under section 350, plus attorneys’ fees. OCA’s guide to New York General Business Law 349 and 350 explains how those statutes work.
What Happens Next?
McCormick has appeared through counsel, and docket entries from late September and early October 2026 show pre-motion letters and a scheduled pre-motion conference, a step this court uses before a party files a major motion. No ruling has been issued, a class has not been certified, and there is no settlement or claim form.Questions
Did Cholula change its recipe?
The lawsuit says it did. According to the complaint, before McCormick bought Cholula in 2020 the ingredients were water, arbol and piquin peppers, salt, vinegar, garlic powder, spices and xanthan gum. It says the current list is water, arbol and piquin peppers, salt, acetic acid, xanthan gum, spices, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder and natural flavor. McCormick has not responded to the claims on the merits.
Who is covered by the Cholula lawsuit?
The complaint proposes a class of consumers who bought Cholula Original Hot Sauce in New York during the statute of limitations for each claim. Buyers in other states are not in the proposed class. No class has been certified.
Why does the lawsuit object to acetic acid in Cholula?
The complaint says acetic acid replaced vinegar as the fourth ingredient and cites a longstanding FDA compliance policy stating that diluted acetic acid is not a vinegar and should not be substituted in foods customers expect to be made with vinegar. It argues that keeping the “Original” label after the change misled buyers.
Is there any money to claim from the Cholula lawsuit?
No. There is no settlement, certified class or claim form. If the case settles or a class is certified, class members would be notified of any way to take part.
Sources
• Class Action Complaint — Wright v. McCormick & Company, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Case No. 1:26-cv-04870 (filed August 10, 2026), via CourtListener: Complaint (PDF)• Docket for Wright v. McCormick & Company, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-04870 (E.D.N.Y.), via CourtListener: CourtListener Docket
