XML 38 R16.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.25.2

Commitments and contingencies | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
May 25, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and contingencies | Commitments and contingencies Legal contingencies In the ordinary course of business, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings and claims. The Company makes a provision for a liability relating to legal matters when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least each fiscal quarter and adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, estimated settlements, legal rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular matter. Legal fees are expensed in the period in which they are incurred. Because recovery of amounts is contingent upon a legal settlement, no amounts have been recorded as recoverable costs through May 25, 2025. Investor dispute On December 23, 2024, 22NW Fund, L.P. (“22NW”), a holder of shares of the Company’s Common Stock and Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock (see note 11), filed a complaint against the Company, two former officers, and five former or current directors in the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County. The complaint seeks money damages (including compensatory damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees) for (i) alleged material misrepresentations by the Company on which 22NW allegedly relied when purchasing shares of the Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Common Stock, (ii) alleged breaches of certain express representations in the stock purchase agreement through which 22NW acquired its shares, and (iii) registration delay fees owed under a registration rights agreement entered into in connection with the issuance of the Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock. The complaint also seeks the equitable remedy of specific performance under the aforementioned stock purchase agreement, requesting an order compelling the Company to file a proxy statement with the SEC and to hold a stockholder meeting to seek the approval of the removal of the current cap on the conversion of Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock into Common Stock as set forth in the Certificate of Designations related to the Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock. On February 24, 2025, the Company filed a motion to dismiss all claims against it except for the claims relating to the registration delay fees. The individual defendants filed separate motions to dismiss the complaint against them in its entirety. Those motions were fully briefed on April 9, 2025. The Court has not scheduled a hearing on the motions or stated whether it will do so. On March 27, 2025, the Court issued a case management order setting forth an initial schedule for discovery, which is ongoing. The Company intends to vigorously defend itself and its former officers and directors in this action. Any potential loss arising from these claims is not currently probable or estimable. The Company has, however, accrued for the registration delay fees sought by 22NW (see note 11). The Company also held a Special Meeting of Stockholders on April 10, 2025, at which time the stockholders approved the removal of the cap on the conversion of Series A Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock into Common Stock. Class action complaint On July 29, 2024, a putative class action complaint was filed on behalf of stockholders of the Company in the United States District Court of Minnesota against the Company and certain of its named executive officers. The complaint generally alleges that statements made to the Company’s stockholders between October 7, 2020, and March 19, 2024 regarding the Company’s financial results, internal controls, remediation efforts, periodic reporting, and financial prospects were false and misleading in violation of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and that the individual defendants are liable for such statements because they are controlling persons under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. The complaint seeks compensatory damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees. On November 15, 2024, the Court appointed co-lead plaintiffs and their respective counsel. The co-lead plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on January 24, 2025 which contained substantially similar allegations and claims as those set forth in the original complaint. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on March 25, 2025, and the plaintiffs filed their opposition to the motion to dismiss on May 23, 2025. The Company continues to believe that the claims are without merit and intends to vigorously defend against them. Any potential loss arising from this claim is not currently probable or estimable. SEC subpoena On February 16, 2024, the Chicago Regional Office of the SEC issued a subpoena to the Company seeking documents and information concerning the financial statement restatement. The Company is cooperating with the SEC. We cannot predict the duration or outcome of this matter at this time. Landlord complaints On January 12, 2024, the landlord for a property leased by Curation Foods filed a complaint of unlawful detainer against the Company in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, seeking possession of the building and alleging past due rent of approximately $171. On February 29, 2024, Curation Foods surrendered possession of the premises to the landlord. The unlawful detainer action was converted to an ordinary civil action. The landlord filed an amended complaint against both Curation Foods and the Company seeking to recover all rent which will accrue through the expiration of the lease, less any sums landlord collects from a replacement tenant. On March 24, 2025, the parties entered into a settlement agreement and resolved this matter. See note 16. Compliance matters On December 1, 2018, the Company acquired all of the voting interests and substantially all of the assets of Yucatan Foods L.P. (“Yucatan”, collectively the “Yucatan Acquisition”), which owns a guacamole manufacturing plant in Mexico called Procesadora Tanok, S de RL de C.V. (“Tanok”). On October 21, 2019, the Company retained Latham & Watkins, LLP to conduct an internal investigation relating to potential environmental and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) compliance matters associated with regulatory permitting at the Tanok facility in Mexico. The Company subsequently voluntarily self-disclosed to the SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) the conduct under investigation, and these agencies commenced an investigation. The Company also disclosed the conduct under investigation to the Office of the Attorney General in Mexico, which in December 2021 decided (a) that Curation Foods, did not commit or participate in the criminal conduct disclosed, (b) no criminal action would be taken against Curation Foods, (c) that no criminal liability was established against Tanok and Yucatan after they were acquired by Curation Foods, and (d) the decisions do not apply to any individuals who may be responsible for misconduct. The Company also disclosed the misconduct to other regulators in Mexico. The conduct at issue began prior to the Yucatan Acquisition, and the agreement for the Yucatan Acquisition provides the Company with certain indemnification rights that may allow the Company to recover the cost of a portion of the liabilities that have been and may be incurred by the Company in connection with these compliance matters. On November 16, 2023, the Company and the DOJ executed a letter (“Declination Letter”) in which the DOJ has declined to prosecute the Company for violations of the FCPA involving the Company’s formerly-held subsidiary, Yucatan. Pursuant to the Declination Letter, in connection with the DOJ’s declination to prosecute, in fiscal year 2023 the Company agreed to pay disgorgement in the amount of $407, and to continue to fully cooperate with any ongoing government investigations and any prosecutions that might result in the future. The Company paid the disgorgement amount in full in fiscal year 2024. On September 2, 2020, one of the former owners of Yucatan filed a lawsuit against the Company in Los Angeles County Superior Court for breach of employment agreement, breach of contract, breach of holdback agreement, declaratory relief and accounting, and related claims. The Plaintiff sought over $10,000 in damages, including delivery of shares of his stock held in escrow for the indemnification claims described above. On November 3, 2020, the Company filed an answer and cross-complaint against the Plaintiff and other former equity holders of Yucatan for fraud, indemnification, and other claims, and seeking no less than $80,000 in damages. In fiscal years 2022, 2023 and 2024, the Company reached settlements with several of the cross-defendants, pursuant to which the settling cross-defendants agreed that certain of the shares of stock they received when the Company acquired Yucatan either be sold and the proceeds paid to the Company, or that those shares be released to the Company. The trial for the remaining defendants was severed into two trials by the Court: •The first trial involved claims by and against one defendant only. This trial concluded on October 18, 2024, and final judgment was entered on March 21, 2025, with offsetting verdicts that resulted in a net award in the Company’s favor of $902 against the defendant and an award of recoverable costs of $275 for a total judgment of $1,177. The Company filed a notice of appeal on June 9, 2025 and the Plaintiff filed a notice of cross-appeal on July 1, 2025. •The second trial for the other defendants will involve only the Company’s claims against them, and there are no claims made by those defendants against the Company. That second trial has been stayed by the Court pending a final judgment, including any appeal, in the first trial. •The Plaintiff filed a new complaint seeking over $15,000 in damages and delivery of shares of his stock held in escrow, and served it on the Company on June 30, 2025. The Plaintiff’s new lawsuit arises out of the same allegations as his earlier lawsuit, asserts the same claims, and seeks the same damages. The Company will oppose the new complaint and seek to dismiss on the grounds it is duplicative of the first lawsuit. The ultimate outcome of these or any other investigations, legal actions, or potential claims that may arise from the matters related to the litigation remains uncertain. The Company cannot reasonably predict the timing or outcomes, or estimate the amount of final judgments, or the effect, if any, they may have on its financial statements. Separately, future rulings from the Court will affect pending claims against the severed defendants for indemnification under provisions in the purchase agreement. Because recovery of amounts is still contingent upon the resolution of certain issues, no amounts have been recorded as recoverable costs through May 25, 2025.

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Topic 405 -SubTopic 30 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/405-30/tableOfContent Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Topic 450 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/450/tableOfContent Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 954 -SubTopic 440 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478522/954-440-50-1 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (c) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4 Reference 6: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 440 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/440/tableOfContent + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration