Advertised as "Italy's No. 1 brand of pasta," the popular pasta brand Barilla will face a lawsuit over allegedly misleading consumers to believe that products made in the United States were actually made in the motherland of pasta, Italy.

Ames, Iowa became home to the company's first U.S. manufacturing facility in 1998. The facility has undergone several expansions, including a $26 million project in 2015 to expand gluten-free production lines and a $19 million project in 2017 that included a rail-yard expansion, two new production lines and six new silos to store wheat. It also produces pasta at a facility in Avon, New York.

A federal judge on Monday denied Barilla’s motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of misrepresenting its products. Judge Donna Ryu found that the company’s phrase, "Italy's No.1 brand of pasta,” could mislead consumers to believe that the pasta is made in Italy. In addition to the phrase, Barilla features the green, red and white colors of the Italian flag on the signature blue boxes.

In addition to asking the court to stop Barilla from using Italy’s likeness in marketing and on the alleged mislabeled product, plaintiffs are seeking monetary compensation, claiming they overpaid for pasta.

A forced return to the office? As job market cools, companies may regain upper hand with workers

Are 'I bonds still a good bet? What to know when considering these inflation-protected assets

Barilla originated as a bread and pasta shop in Italy but is now based in Illinois. Barilla argues that its trademark is used to “invoke the company’s Italian roots through generalized representations of the brand as a whole,” not mislead buyers.

The judge's decision comes on the heels of a similar complaint filed against the makers of Texas Pete hot sauce after a California man learned the product isn't actually made in Texas.

More:Massachusetts woman protests 'wrongful eviction' by releasing swarm of bees on police

More: Makers of Texas Pete hot sauce face lawsuit over product being made in North Carolina

What does the lawsuit claim?

In the original complaint, Matthew Sinatro and Jessica Prost said that because of how the company’s products are advertised, they purchased multiple boxes of Barilla spaghetti and angel hair pasta under the belief it was made in Italy with Italian ingredients.

The complaint alleges that Barilla doesn’t exclusively use Italian wheat in its products and exploits consumers who are willing to pay more for authentic Italian pasta. The company is accused of using deceptive advertising and marketing to hike up Barilla’s prices and increase profits.

Homemade In-N-Out, Cinnabon and Cane's? How to make 'copycat' recipes at home

Rolls-Royce unveils its first electric: Begins 'all-electric' goal: See the roughly $400,000 car

The plaintiffs also claim Barilla has an unfair advantage over “lawfully acting competitors” at the expense of “unwitting consumers.”

The Ames facility was the company's third largest as of 2019 and capable of producing 200,000 metric tons of dry pasta per year. It is one of the largest industrial properties in Ames and employed more than 220 people as of 2020.

Barilla did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY's NOW team. 

What's everyone talking about?  Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Barilla sued over pasta being made in Iowa, not Italy