Danone has filed a lawsuit against Chobani, accusing the US yoghurt brand of misleading shoppers with claims around one of its high-protein ranges.

The French food giant, which owns Dannon in the US, filed a complaint in Manhattan federal court on Monday, claiming Chobani had overstated the protein credentials of its Chobani 20G Protein yoghurt tubs.

Danone said the range was being positioned as a direct rival to its Oikos Pro brand in the ultra-high-protein yoghurt category.

According to the complaint, Oikos Pro contains 20g of protein per 5.3oz serving, which Danone said was a standard industry serving size.

However, Danone alleged that Chobani had inflated serving sizes on its multiple-serving tubs, rather than increasing the amount of protein in the yoghurt itself.

The business claimed Chobani’s products would contain fewer than 18g of protein per serving if the company followed US Food and Drug Administration serving-size rules.

Danone argued this made the Chobani range more comparable to its lower-priced Oikos Triple Zero brand, which contains between 15g and 18g of protein per serving.

In the complaint, Danone said the alleged conduct was particularly concerning at a time when healthcare providers and the federal government were encouraging consumers to choose foods with higher protein concentrations.

It said shoppers who understood the true protein content would either choose Oikos Pro for a genuinely ultra-high-protein option, or Oikos Triple Zero as a better-value alternative.

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

The lawsuit marks at least the fourth legal dispute between Danone and Chobani since 2016, underlining the long-running rivalry between two of the biggest players in Greek-style yoghurt.

Chobani is also seeking to dismiss a separate lawsuit from Danone, which claims the company copied packaging and the “Bright & Mellow” slogan for a cold brew coffee line.

Chobani is based in New York, while Danone is headquartered in Paris. Its US subsidiary is based in White Plains, New York.

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