Traeger court case; pellets

[Manannan]

Maybe a few pellet manufacturers are "guilty" of this? The argument seems to stem round the claim on packaging of the pellets being100% mesquite hardwood as opposed to 100% hardwood / mesquite not highlighting they also contain other hardwoods and the fact that mesquite oil is involved.

https://www.traegerwoodpelletsettlement.com/

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/st...ills-settle-lawsuit-wood-pellets/76952073007/

Looks like it has cost Traeger up to 1.5 million dollars!

 

[RayClem]

Traeger does make some blends of hardwood pellets. However. their Mesquite and Hickory pellets clearly state that they are "naturally flavored hardwood". However, they also use the language "premium hardwood pellets". They do not do a good job of explaining what "naturally flavored hardwood" means.

Since Traeger'spellet manufacturing plants are in the Northwest and hickory grows in the Southeast and mesquite grows in Texas, rather than transporting hickory and mesquite wood to their plants, they squeeze the flavored juices out of the wood and transport that to their facilities to flavor the hardwood pellets. Alder is used as the primary base of the blends as oak is also grown in the Southeast and Midwest. I figured this out long ago and avoid Traeger pellets. I much prefer Bear Mountain and LumberJack pellets made in Wisconsin where lots of different tree species grow.

Traeger has an annual income of over $600 million dollars, so settling aa lawsuit of $1.5 million is not a huge loss.

 

[Manannan]

They do not do a good job of explaining what "naturally flavored hardwood" means.

Perhaps this is more by design than accident and they are not the only pellet manufacturer to do it?

Definitely agree with the Bear Mountain comment and I also like Cookin Pellets, conversely it is easy to get too hung up on pellet choice given many produce little discernible difference in the end product,

Certainly wouldn't be bothered getting involved in a lawsuit, I would just switch to another brand or flavour.