Virginia Man Sues Godiva Because the Belgian Chocolates Are Not Made in Belgium

The Virginia man is now seeking $74,000 in damages after purchasing what he claims were falsely-advertised chocolates

Godiva
Photo: Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic

A Virginia man is taking legal action against Godiva after he claims their products were falsely-advertised.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, alleges that the chocolates purchased by the man in Washington D.C. were not actually from Belgium as they were advertised on the packaging, according to documents obtained by NBC 4’s Scott MacFarlane.

The lawsuit states that “Belgian 1926” was displayed across the front of the chocolates, which would lead a “reasonable consumer” to assume that the product was made in Belgium at a “premium” price.

Instead, the document reads, “all Godiva chocolates sold in the United States are created at a plant in Reading, Pennsylvania.”

The man is now seeking $74,000 in damages, according to MacFarlane.

Representatives at Godiva did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Godiva was founded by the Draps family in 1926 after initially starting as a small praline-making business in Brussels, Belgium, according to the company’s website.

The company was initially called Chocolaterie Draps but later changed their name to Godiva (after Lady Godiva) once the family decided to open an exclusive chocolate shop.

In 1966, the family crossed paths with the Campbell Soup Company, who eventually acquired a third of a stake in Godiva and went on to introduce it to the American public.

Though they no longer own Godiva, Campbell’s played a major role in helping the chocolatier expand all over the world, with more than 600 stores currently in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

The soup company also bought a plant in Reading, PA during the 1960s to help with production, which has since become the spot where the company makes chocolate for the U.S. market.

The Belgian plant, meanwhile, produces for the rest of the world, according to Godiva’s website.

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This isn’t the first time that Godiva has faced legal action over the origin of their chocolate.

Earlier this year, the company was sued by two people who similarly claimed the brand was falsely-advertising their products due to the “Belgium 1926” wrapper, according to Yahoo.

The plaintiffs sought $5 million in damages and demanded a jury trial, but the case was eventually dismissed the outlet reports.

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