A man from Colorado has taken legal action against Walmart, asserting that he endured significant injuries after consuming raw bake-to-eat bread that purportedly expanded in his stomach.
Jordan T. Douglas, residing in El Paso County, reported that he was hospitalized for three days at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central following his consumption of the bread purchased from the retail giant.
On Tuesday, Douglas initiated a personal injury lawsuit in district court, contending that the bread caused him to seek emergency medical attention due to persistent vomiting.
According to the lawsuit, medical scans revealed a “gastrointestinal obstruction” resulting from the uncooked dough’s expansion, as detailed in the complaint accessed by Courthouse News.
Douglas further claimed that Walmart had covered the bread’s preparation instructions with a “sell-by” label, leading to confusion.
Consequently, he assumed the bread was mostly baked and ready for consumption.
He ate the loaf during his lunch break but soon developed ‘severe abdominal pain and related symptoms.’
Douglas accused Walmart of ‘altering product packaging’ in a way that created an ‘unreasonable risk of harm to customers.’ He is seeking compensatory damages.
Walmart is being sued by Jordan T. Douglas, of El Paso County, Colorado, after he claimed that a bake-to-eat bread sold by the retailer expanded in his stomach and gravely injured him
Douglas claimed he ‘reasonably believed’ the bread was ready to be eaten. Instead, it allegedly caused him ‘severe abdominal pain’ and other injuries (Photo of a take-and-bake bread)
Douglas bought the bread on September 22, 2025, at the Walmart store located at 1575 Space Center Drive in Colorado Springs, per the lawsuit.
The loaf of MarketSide-branded bread allegedly had a ‘sell-by’ label placed directly over its preparation instructions.
This included the detail that the bread was actually a ‘take and bake’ product, rather than ready-to-eat.
‘As sold, the bread appeared substantially baked and indistinguishable from ready-to-eat bread products commonly sold by Walmart,’ the complaint read.
Douglas claimed that he ‘reasonably believed’ he could eat the bread without needing to be baked.
He said he suffered ‘substantial medical expenses, lost wages, physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life’ while hospitalized for three days.
The shopper added that his injuries were ‘foreseeable, preventable, and directly caused’ by Walmart’s omissions.
Douglas was hospitalized at the UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central for about three days, during which he was in ‘severe pain’ and repeatedly vomiting
Douglas also accused Walmart of failing to ‘exercise reasonable care’ by allowing a store-applied label to supposedly cover the bread’s instructions.
He alleged the retailer failed to follow ‘reasonable internal policies and industry standards’ and did not properly train employees on safe labeling practices.
The complaint alleged Walmart ‘intended or reasonably should have expected consumers to rely on the product’s presentation’ when it was sold.
Douglas claimed that the bread was in a ‘defective condition’ that was ‘unreasonably dangerous.’
He required an ‘invasive’ nasogastric tube, bowel rest and extensive diagnostic testing as a result of his injuries, the lawsuit claimed.
The complaint also named Anthony & Sons Italian Bakery, the manufacturer of the bread that allegedly sent Douglas to the hospital, as a defendant.
Those claims alleged strict products liability and negligence for failure to warn.
The lawsuit claimed that Walmart obscured the bread’s preparation instructions with a ‘sell-by’ label, and that the loaf looked ready to eat (File photo of a Walmart location)
Douglas alleged Anthony & Sons ‘owed a duty to provide clear, conspicuous, and adequate preparation and safety warnings.’
However, he claimed their packaging and instructions did not warn of the ‘risks of consumption without baking.’
Douglas is not demanding a trial by jury, according to his complaint.
He is seeking compensatory damages to be determined at trial, along with court costs, interest as allowed by law and any other relief.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Walmart, Anthony & Sons Italian Bakery and Jeffrey Scott Lasswell, Douglas’ attorney, for comment.
