When you pop a frozen dinner into a microwave, you’re likely not expecting fresh-from-the-garden ingredients. But Lean Cuisine is reportedly getting sued for promising a preservative-free meal, but actually including a common preservative in its food.

TMZ reports that customer Courtney Ross is filing a class action lawsuit against Nestle, the parent company of Lean Cuisine. She said that she went to a CVS in New York City and bought a Four Cheese Pizza Lean Cuisine, which said “No Preservatives” on the front of the box. She claims she paid a “premium price” for the product because of its no-preservative advertising.

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

But then she looked at the list of ingredients and found citric acid, which is a common preservative.. The suit, which was obtained by ClassAction.org , claims that the company deceived customers, and also included a long list of Lean Cuisines that do include citric acid. When other companies include citric acid, they say it’s a preservative, the suit notes. In fact, Nestle’s other frozen-pizza company, DiGiorno, calls its citric acid a “flavor protector.”

Most Popular

“By deceptively marketing the products as having ‘No Preservatives,’ [Nestlé] wrongfully capitalized on, and reaped enormous profits from, consumers’ strong preference for food products made free of preservatives,” the lawsuit alleges. The suit wants to cover New York consumers who bought a Lean Cuisine within a certain period of time, and also wants a “corrective advertising campaign.”

According to Yahoo Beauty , citric acid is a common ingredient used in sodas, sauces, and candy, and is usually considered safe in small doses. It is used in larger doses in products like detergents and polishes because it’s also abrasive. Foodbeast notes that citric acid might be used as a flavoring, not as a preservative, in Lean Cuisines.

A representative for Nestle USA, told TMZ the lawsuit was bogus: “The allegations are baseless and we will vigorously defend ourselves. All Nestle products and labels comply with FDA and USDA regulations.”