Oregon Supreme Court considers ‘misleading marketing’ case against Tillamook creamery

Published 9:06 am Friday, March 15, 2024

The Oregon Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments about whether a lawsuit against the Tillamook County Creamery Association should be allowed to proceed.

That lawsuit, filed in 2019 by an animal welfare group, alleges Tillamook of misleading marketing and misrepresenting its livestock practices.

Tillamook, founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative, and known for its varieties of cheese, ice cream and yogurt, is accused of “greenwashing” — the act of making false or misleading statements to persuade consumers that a company is environmentally friendly.

Tillamook has denied the allegations, and said it’s open about its environmental stewardship practices.

The five-year-old lawsuit, filed as a class action by the Animal Legal Defense Fund on behalf of four Oregon residents, alleges Tillamook’s advertising campaigns allowed the creamery to sell its products at a premium.

It claims the creamery’s marketing led consumers to believe its milk is sourced from small, family-owned, pasture-based dairies in Tillamook County, when in reality it sources two-thirds of its milk from one of the country’s largest factory farms with over 28,000 dairy cows.