Kellogg’s Lawsuit: Special K “Zero Added Sugar” Cereals and Allulose
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The Kellogg’s lawsuit in the news is about Special K. Two proposed class actions filed in Los Angeles federal court in August and September 2026 allege that Special K cereals labeled “Zero Added Sugar” contain allulose, which the plaintiffs say counts as sugar under federal rules. As of October 2026 the cases are at the very beginning. There is no settlement, no fund and no claim form — nothing to file and no money to collect.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Special K Lawsuits Claim
Allulose is a low-calorie sweetener. Chemically it is a monosaccharide — a simple sugar. The lawsuits allege that WK Kellogg Co put “Zero Added Sugar” and “0g Added Sugar” on Special K boxes even though the cereals contain allulose syrup, about four grams per serving according to one complaint.
The plaintiffs point to the federal rule that allows a “no added sugar” claim only if no sugars or sugar-containing ingredients are added during processing. They also allege that the nutrition panels show zero grams of total and added sugars, and that a marketing image advertised four grams of net carbs by subtracting five grams of fiber and four grams of allulose from 13 grams of carbohydrates. Their theory: shoppers avoiding added sugar paid a premium for something that did not deliver what the box promised. These are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
Case Details
Case 1: Bender-Long v. WK Kellogg Co., No. 2:26-cv-09438, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, filed August 24, 2026. It seeks a California class of buyers of Special K cereals advertised as zero added sugar, and pleads unjust enrichment plus California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, False Advertising Law and Unfair Competition Law.
Case 2: Carr v. WK Kellogg Co, No. 2:26-cv-09994, same court, filed September 4, 2026. It names two products — Special K Plus High Protein Zero Added Sugar Cereal and Special K Zero Breakfast Cereal — and proposes a nationwide class with a California subclass.
The cases are part of a wider wave of allulose suits after the Seventh Circuit’s 2026 decision in Franco v. Chobani; parallel suits target Liquid Death and KIND. The defendant is WK Kellogg Co, the cereal company split off from Kellogg’s in 2023 and owned by Ferrero since September 2025.
Status: Newly Filed, No Settlement
The likely next step is a motion to dismiss, where a key question is whether federal food-labeling law preempts the state-law claims. That is the issue the Seventh Circuit decided against the manufacturer in the Chobani case — but that ruling binds only federal courts in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, not the California court hearing the Kellogg’s cases.
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Who Would Be in the Proposed Classes
Bender-Long proposes a California class: people who bought Special K cereals advertised as containing zero added sugar. Carr proposes a nationwide class and a California subclass: people who bought Special K Plus High Protein Zero Added Sugar Cereal or Special K Zero Breakfast Cereal for personal use. The Carr complaint does not set a fixed start date and does not cover every Special K product.
Regular Special K, other Kellogg’s cereals and Kellanova snacks such as Pringles or Pop-Tarts are not part of these cases. You do not join a class action by commenting or signing up anywhere. If a class is certified or a settlement is reached, notice goes out through a court-approved process. A photo of the box or a store receipt is worth keeping.
Is There Any Money?
For scale only: one plaintiff reports paying about $7.75 per purchase. When food-labeling cases do settle, buyers typically get back a fraction of the price per purchase, often capped for those without receipts. The earlier Kellogg’s cereal settlement over “healthy” marketing was announced at $20,250,000 in cash and vouchers spread across buyers nationwide. That is context, not a prediction for Special K.
Kellogg’s Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
2020 — FDA Guidance on Allulose
The FDA announces it will not object if manufacturers leave allulose out of Total Sugars and Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel. The guidance does not change the regulation defining sugar.
- 2
October 2, 2023 — Cereal Business Split Off
Kellogg’s spins off its North American cereal business, including Special K, as WK Kellogg Co. The snack business continues as Kellanova.
- 3
September 26, 2025 — Ferrero Takes Over
Ferrero closes its $3.1 billion acquisition of WK Kellogg Co.
- 4
2026 — Seventh Circuit Rules in Franco v. Chobani
The appeals court holds that allulose is still a “sugar” under the FDA regulation and revives a “Zero Sugar” yogurt suit, starting a wave of allulose class actions.
- 5
August 24 and September 4, 2026 — Two Special K Suits
Bender-Long (2:26-cv-09438) and Carr (2:26-cv-09994) are filed in the Central District of California against WK Kellogg Co.
- 6
October 2026 — Early Stage, No Settlement
No ruling on the merits, no class certified, no settlement, no claim form and no deadline.
Three Things to Watch For
A cereal almost everyone has bought, plus a lawsuit with no claim form, is an easy opening for imposters:
“Add me” in a comment section
News articles on the Special K suit fill up with buyers writing “add me please.” A comment does not add you to anything. Never post your email, address or phone number there — scammers read those threads too.
Revived “Kellogg’s cereal settlement” claims
The old Kellogg’s sugary-cereal settlement (Raisin Bran, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Smart Start and others) closed for claims on September 7, 2021. A message telling you to claim from it now is not legitimate, and it has nothing to do with Special K.
“Zero sugar lawsuit” sign-up pages
Pages advertising an allulose or “zero sugar” investigation are law-firm intake forms, not claim forms. Submitting one does not get you money, and anyone asking for a fee or your Social Security number to “secure a cereal refund” is not a settlement administrator.
Kellogg’s Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the Kellogg’s lawsuit in the news right now?
Two proposed class actions against WK Kellogg Co in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California — Bender-Long, filed August 24, 2026, and Carr, filed September 4, 2026. Both allege that Special K cereals labeled “Zero Added Sugar” contain allulose, which the plaintiffs say is a sugar under federal labeling rules.
Which Special K cereals are involved?
The Carr complaint names Special K Plus High Protein Zero Added Sugar Cereal and Special K Zero Breakfast Cereal. Bender-Long describes Special K cereals sold with “Zero Added Sugar” or “0g Added Sugar” on the box. Check the front of your box and the ingredient list for allulose.
Is there a Kellogg’s settlement or claim form?
Not for Special K. As of October 2026 there is no settlement, no fund, no administrator, no claim form and no deadline. If that changes, a court-approved notice will name the official website. You can also check our list of open class action settlements.
Is allulose really sugar?
That is the legal fight. FDA rules define sugars to include all monosaccharides, and allulose is one. But since 2020 the FDA has let companies leave allulose off the sugar lines of the Nutrition Facts panel. In 2026 the Seventh Circuit held that this policy does not change the definition. It has not decided how that applies to “no added sugar” claims like the ones on Special K, and its ruling does not bind California courts.
Is this the old $20 million Kellogg’s cereal settlement?
No. That was a separate case in the Northern District of California over “healthy” marketing of Raisin Bran, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Smart Start, Crunchy Nut, Krave and Nutri-Grain bars. It was announced at $20,250,000 in cash and vouchers; Judge Lucy H. Koh rejected that first proposal, and the parties tried again. The claim deadline was September 7, 2021. That deadline has passed.
Who is being sued — Kellogg’s, Kellanova or Ferrero?
The defendant is WK Kellogg Co, which took over the North American cereal business, including Special K, when Kellogg’s split on October 2, 2023. Ferrero has owned WK Kellogg Co since September 2025. Kellanova, the snack company, is not a defendant in these suits.
Do I need to do anything now?
No. Nothing can be filed. If you bought one of the named cereals, keep a box photo or receipt in case a settlement ever asks for proof. Our payout calculator shows why per-person amounts in consumer cases are usually small.
How long could this take?
No court has set a schedule we can point to. Class actions over food labels typically have to survive a motion to dismiss and then win class certification before any settlement talk becomes concrete, and some end without any payment to consumers. For a comparable case that ended with nothing paid, see the Trader Joe’s dark chocolate lawsuit.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.