Naked Juice Co, owned by PepsiCo., has agreed to pay $9 million to settle a 2012 California class-action suit alleging its improper use of “all natural” and “no GMO” claims on some of its juices and smoothies. Ever got some Acai Machine, Protein Zone or Mango Veggie juices? You may want to read this before you buy/drink them again.
The plaintiffs alleged that such claims were false and deceptive because the designated products contain:
- Unnaturally processed and synthetic ingredients: Fibersol-2 (a soluble corn fiber used to up the fiber content) and fructooligosaccarides (a fructose-based alternative sweetener)
- Soy derived from genetically modified crops (GMO)
In addition to paying $9 million, the settlement package includes:
- An independent tester, hired by Naked Juice, will confirm the accuracy of its labels’ “non-GMO” claim and create a electronic database to track and check all of the line’s ingredients
- The removal of the ‘all natural’ claim from its labels
Check out the full article at: http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2013/07/naked_juice_settles_suit_over.php
Credit photo: Facebook/Naked Juice
* Up for some thought-sharing on this topic?
The term ‘natural’ has no federal government definition so it is loosely used by companies the way it serves them best.
As stated by the Food and Drug Administration’s website: All food products have likely been somewhat processed so no definition of the term “natural” was ever developed. Yet, the agency won’t object its use if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances… Such a great catch to be aware of for “green” brands!
Natural and GMO claim issues aside, are we supposed to be OK with the use of fructooligosaccarides, i.e. ADDED SUGAR? Isn’t a juice or smoothie, at least those marketed Naked Juice style, supposed to be sweet from the NATURALLY OCCURRING of the fruits?
Let us know…
