Published
September 23, 2026
Updated
October 12, 2026
Shoppers who bought Sprouts brand chips labeled “Made With 100% Avocado Oil” or “Made With Avocado Oil” may be covered by proposed class actions alleging Sprouts Farmers Market makes them with other, cheaper oils. 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. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. and the other Sprouts entities named in these suits have 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 San Diego shopper filed a proposed class action on September 17, 2026, claiming that Sprouts brand potato and tortilla chips sold as “Made With 100% Avocado Oil” are not made with avocado oil alone. The case is Hood v. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-05362, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.The complaint leans on two sets of test results. The first is a 2026 UC Davis study that included two Sprouts products and classified both as inconsistent with authentic avocado oil. The second is testing the plaintiff commissioned herself on three more bags. Her position is that, if avocado oil is in the chips at all, some other cheaper oil is in there too, and the label never discloses it. Sprouts has not yet responded in court, and none of the claims has been proven.
Hood is not the only suit over these chips, and it was not the first. A San Diego shopper sued over the Sprouts Organic Sea Salt & A Hint Of Lime Tortilla Chips in the same court on September 8, 2026, and a third case followed in the Central District of California on September 18. Both rely on the UC Davis study alone, and both propose a nationwide class rather than a California-only one. They are described below.
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Status
Complaint Filed
Hood filed September 17, 2026 · S.D. California · two more suits filed September 8 (S.D. Cal.) and September 18 (C.D. Cal.)
Who It Covers
California or U.S. buyers
Hood: California buyers only · Mullen and Noriega: nationwide class plus California subclass
Can I Claim?
No — nothing to claim yet
Which Sprouts Chips Are Named
The complaint lists eight products and says the list is “not limited to” them:• Sea Salt Kettle Style Avocado Oil Potato Chips
• Honey BBQ Kettle Style Avocado Oil Potato Chips
• Sour Cream & Onion Kettle Style Avocado Oil Potato Chips
• Sea Salt & Vinegar Kettle Style Avocado Oil Potato Chips
• Dill Pickle Kettle Style Avocado Oil Potato Chips
• Organic Sea Salt & A Hint Of Lime Tortilla Chips Made With Avocado Oil
• Organic Sea Salt Blue Corn Tortilla Chips Made With Avocado Oil
• Organic Unsalted Blue Corn Tortilla Chips Made With Avocado Oil
According to the complaint, the front of each bag says “Made With 100% Avocado Oil” next to a picture of an avocado, and the ingredient list names avocado oil as the only oil. The Sea Salt kettle chips, for example, list “potatoes, avocado oil, sea salt.” The complaint also points to a Sprouts online collection called “See Ya Later, Seed Oils!” that features the chips.
The two other suits name fewer products. One covers only the Organic Sea Salt & A Hint Of Lime Tortilla Chips; the other covers those chips and the Sea Salt kettle chips.
What the Tests Allegedly Found
The UC Davis study. In July 2026, UC Davis food scientists published a study in Applied Food Research that tested processed foods listing avocado oil as their only oil. They reported that 48 of 54 samples, and 26 of 28 chip samples, did not match the chemical profile of authentic avocado oil. They also fried chips in real avocado oil in the lab and found that frying barely changed the markers, so cooking alone could not explain the gaps. The complaint says the Sprouts Organic Sea Salt & A Hint Of Lime Tortilla Chips and the Sea Salt Kettle Style chips were among the products classified as inconsistent. The study itself covers the whole product category. It is the complaint that applies it to Sprouts in particular.The plaintiff’s own lab tests. In September 2026, the plaintiff sent unopened bags of the Sea Salt, Honey BBQ and Dill Pickle kettle chips to Isotek Laboratories, an independent lab in Oklahoma City, which reported fatty acid results for each. According to the complaint:
| Fatty acid | Sprouts samples (per complaint) | Codex range for avocado oil |
|---|---|---|
| Palmitoleic (C16:1) | 0.544%–1.038% | 4.0%–17.1% |
| Stearic (C18:0) | 2.84%–3.33% | 0.1%–1.3% |
| Palmitic (C16:0) | 8.27%–8.80% | 11.0%–26.0% |
The complaint says each result also fell outside the lab’s own reference range, and outside the known profiles of six avocado varieties, including Hass. Low palmitoleic acid combined with high stearic acid is the pattern the UC Davis researchers linked to dilution with cheaper oils. The test results are the plaintiff’s evidence. Sprouts has not responded to them, and no court has weighed them.
What the Lawsuit Claims and Seeks
The complaint brings three claims under California law: the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, the False Advertising Law, and the Unfair Competition Law. It argues that the label promises one oil while hiding others, and that shoppers paid a premium for that promise. According to the complaint, the plaintiff bought at least fourteen bags from Sprouts stores in San Diego County starting around August 2025, at roughly $0.60 to $0.67 an ounce. It also cites the UC Davis finding that avocado oil chips sold for up to 222% more than chips made with conventional oils.The complaint asks for restitution, damages, a court order changing the labeling, and attorneys’ fees. Under the CLRA count, it seeks only injunctive and equitable relief for now.
Who Would Be Covered?
The proposed class is “all persons in California who purchased Sprouts Avocado Oil chip products” within the applicable limitations period, leaving out resellers and Sprouts insiders. That is narrower than the store’s reach. The complaint itself notes that the chips are sold nationwide, in stores, online and through Instacart. But all three claims are California claims, so buyers in other states are not included as the case is currently pleaded. The counts refer to a “California Subclass” that the complaint never separately defines, so the class could be reworded if the complaint is amended. The two other Sprouts suits, described below, propose nationwide classes.Two More Lawsuits Over Sprouts Chips
Mullen v. SF Markets, LLC, No. 3:26-cv-05070, was filed September 8, 2026 in the same court as Hood, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, nine days earlier. It names SF Markets, LLC, which it says does business as Sprouts Farmers Market. It covers one product, Sprouts Organic Sea Salt & A Hint Of Lime Tortilla Chips Made With Avocado Oil, which it says carries a “Made With Avocado Oil” front label and lists avocado oil as its only oil. It relies on the UC Davis study without separate lab testing. According to the complaint, the study identified the chips as samples 25 and 26, classified both lots as inconsistent with authentic avocado oil, and found that one lot also showed the fatty acid pattern most diagnostic of seed oil substitution. A San Diego shopper proposes a nationwide class and a California subclass, with claims under the CLRA, the Unfair Competition Law and the False Advertising Law, plus breach of express warranty and unjust enrichment. The complaint seeks damages, restitution, an order stopping the labeling at issue, and attorneys’ fees. The case is assigned to Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks, with Magistrate Judge Daniel E. Butcher.Noriega v. Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, No. 8:26-cv-02683, was filed September 18, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. It covers two products: the same tortilla chips and Kettle Style Potato Chips Made with 100% Avocado Oil Sea Salt. According to the complaint, the study identified the tortilla chips as samples 25 and 26 and the kettle chips as samples 27 and 28, and classified both samples of each as inconsistent with authentic avocado oil. A Yorba Linda shopper proposes a nationwide class and a California subclass, with claims under the Unfair Competition Law, the False Advertising Law and the CLRA, plus breach of express warranty and unjust enrichment. Under the CLRA it seeks only public injunctive relief for now; overall it asks for restitution, damages, an injunction and attorneys’ fees.
Neither complaint has been answered, and the allegations in both are unproven.
How It Compares to the Utz Cases
This is not the first suit to follow the UC Davis study. Utz faces several avocado oil class actions over its Boulder Canyon and Good Health chips, including one in New York and one in Illinois. The Illinois case also relies on lab tests the plaintiff paid for. The Hood case differs in two ways. Sprouts sells the chips under its own store brand, and the case is limited to California and California law.What Happens Next
Sprouts will likely answer the complaint or move to dismiss it. Food labeling defendants often argue that a label claim like this is literally true, or that testing a few bags does not prove the whole product line is mislabeled, and they can challenge how the lab results are read. Class certification, if the case gets that far, is usually more than a year away. The three Sprouts suits are pending in two federal courts and move on separate schedules unless they are combined or transferred; Mullen, in the same court as Hood, is before Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks. If the case settles, we will update this page with how to file.Questions
I don’t live in California. Am I part of this case?
The Hood case, as written, is limited to people in California who bought Sprouts avocado oil chip products, and all three of its claims are brought under California consumer protection laws. Two other suits against Sprouts, Mullen v. SF Markets, LLC and Noriega v. Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, propose nationwide classes of U.S. buyers of the products they name, plus California subclasses. Class definitions can change if a complaint is amended, and no class has been certified in any of the cases.
Does the lawsuit say there is no avocado oil in the chips?
Not exactly. The complaint’s core claim is that avocado oil, if it is present at all, is not the only oil. It alleges the chips’ fatty acid profile falls outside the ranges expected for avocado oil and looks more like a blend with cheaper vegetable or seed oils. Sprouts has not been found to have done anything wrong.
Is it safe to eat the chips?
The lawsuit is about labeling and price, not safety. It does not allege the chips are contaminated or cause illness, and there is no recall. The claimed harm is that buyers paid a premium for an oil they allegedly did not get.
Do I need to keep my receipts or the bag?
There is nothing to file now, so nothing is required. If the case ever settles, food labeling settlements often let buyers claim a small amount without receipts, but that is not guaranteed. Keeping a receipt or a photo of a purchase costs nothing.
Sources
• Class action complaint, Hood v. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-05362-RSH-DDL (S.D. Cal., filed Sept. 17, 2026)• Applied Food Research — avocado oil authenticity study (ScienceDirect)
• UC Davis — “The avocado oil chip you’re eating may not be made with pure avocado oil”
• NPR — coverage of the avocado oil study
• CourtListener docket — Mullen v. SF Markets, LLC, No. 3:26-cv-05070-BJC-DEB (S.D. Cal.)
• Mullen class action complaint (filed Sept. 8, 2026) (PDF)
• CourtListener docket — Noriega v. Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, No. 8:26-cv-02683 (C.D. Cal.)
• Noriega class action complaint (filed Sept. 18, 2026) (PDF)
Class Action Complaint (PDF)
The complaint as filed on September 17, 2026 — 29 pages, including the label photographs and the fatty acid figures described above.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Status
Complaint Filed — Allegations Only
Case Title
Hood v. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Case Number
3:26-cv-05362-RSH-DDL
Court
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
Date Filed
September 17, 2026
Claims
California CLRA; False Advertising Law; Unfair Competition Law
Class Pleaded
People in California who bought Sprouts avocado oil chip products
Plaintiff Counsel
Siri & Glimstad LLP
Key Evidence Cited
2026 UC Davis study in Applied Food Research; plaintiff-commissioned Isotek Labs fatty acid testing
Related Case
Mullen v. SF Markets, LLC, No. 3:26-cv-05070-BJC-DEB (S.D. Cal.)
filed September 8, 2026 · tortilla chips · nationwide class · Judge Benjamin J. Cheeks, Magistrate Judge Daniel E. Butcher
Related Case
Noriega v. Sprouts Farmers Markets, LLC, No. 8:26-cv-02683 (C.D. Cal.)
filed September 18, 2026 · tortilla and kettle chips · nationwide class
