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Danone has filed a federal lawsuit against Chobani, alleging that the US yogurt maker misleads consumers over the protein content of its Chobani 20g Protein products, according to Reuters.

The complaint, filed Monday 15 June in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, claims Chobani inflates protein claims on its multi-serving yogurt tubs by using larger serving sizes than those typically recognised under US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines.

Danone argues that the labelling practice gives consumers the impression that Chobani's products directly compete with its Oikos Pro line, which contains 20g of protein per standard 5.3oz serving.

According to the lawsuit, if Chobani followed FDA serving-size standards, its products would deliver less than 18g of protein per serving rather than the advertised 20g.

Danone contends that this would place the products closer to the protein levels found in its Oikos Triple Zero range, which contains between 15g and 18g of protein per serving and is sold at a lower price point.

The company said producing dairy products with that level of protein density is "difficult and costly," and alleged that Chobani instead increased the labelled serving size without increasing the amount of yogurt.

Danone is seeking unspecified damages and changes to Chobani’s labelling.

Last year, Danone also sued Chobani over its cold brew coffee branding, alleging that the company copied the tagline and packaging of one of its top-selling products.

FoodBev has reached out to Danone and Chobani for comment. A spokesperson for Danone said: "As a matter of company policy, Danone does not comment on active litigation."