Walmart Class Action Says Parent’s Choice Pediatric Shakes Aren’t Natural

Walmart has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that its Parent’s Choice Pediatric Shakes are falsely advertised as having “No Synthetic Color, Flavor or Sweeteners.”

Lead plaintiff Kaylan Morris claims that she and other consumers were duped into thinking that the product offered high quality nutrition to children and babies.

However, the ingredient list on the shakes reveal that the products contain allegedly unnatural and synthetic ingredients like maltodextrin.

“Walmart’s advertising is targeted towards mothers or expectant mothers who wish to provide their babies high quality nutrition advertising that the Shakes are ‘easy, ready-to-drink, gluten-free shakes that are easy to slip into your diaper bag,’” the Walmart class action lawsuit states.

“As to the ‘Parent’s Choice’ brand, Walmart states that it is a ‘special range of products for baby … complete baby collection specially selected with love and attention to this special time in your family’s life. With a trust and safety guarantee … Parent’s Choice takes care of everything little ones need at an every day low price.’”

The Walmart class action lawsuit says that Parent’s Choice Pediatric Shakes are sold in six pack cardboard packages throughout the nation.

They are sold in two varieties; Chocolate and Vanilla, according to the complaint, and may be available in other flavors. The drinks are purportedly labeled as “Naturally Flavored,” “Balanced Nutrition” and “No Synthetic Color, Flavor, or Sweeteners.”

“Walmart’s misrepresentations and omissions are misleading, likely to deceive, and do deceive reasonable consumers because the Shakes contain unnatural and synthetic ingredients,” contends the Walmart class action.

According to the class action lawsuit, Walmart’s Parent’s Choice Pediatric Shakes contain maltodextrin – a synthetic ingredient.

“Maltodextrin is a texturizer used in processed foods and is created from starch,” notes the Walmart class action lawsuit. “Because producing it requires multiple processing steps in an industrial environment, which transform starches into substances that are not found in nature, they cannot be described as natural.”

The plaintiff contends that she, and consumers like her, reasonably rely on statements on product packaging to make informed decisions when purchasing.

Morris says she purchased Walmart’s Parent’s Choice Pediatric Shakes because her young son is a picky eater and she was concerned about his health and nutrition; however, she was “extremely upset” to discover that the shakes, contrary to the statements on their labels, contained synthetic and unnatural ingredients.

“Plaintiff would not have purchased the Shakes had she known that they contained synthetic and artificial ingredients,” notes the Walmart class action lawsuit. “In fact, as soon as Plaintiff found out about Walmart’s misrepresentations, she stopped purchasing the Shakes.”

The Walmart class action lawsuit seeks to represent a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased Parent’s Choice Pediatric Shakes, along with an Alabama subclass.

The plaintiff is seeking damages as well as a court order stopping Walmart from the alleged false advertising.

Morris is represented by Taylor C. Bartlett and W. Lewis Garrison, Jr. of Heninger Garrison Davis LLC, J. Stuart McAtee of Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys, and Taylor A. Pruett of Schreiber Law Firm PC.

The Walmart Parent’s Choice Pediatric Shake Class Action Lawsuit is Morris v. Walmart Inc., Case No. 2:19-cv-00650-TMP, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division.

UPDATE: On Jan. 29, 2020, the Walmart class action alleging that marketing claims for Parent’s Choice Pediatric Shakes are misleading was trimmed after an Alabama judge found deficiencies in the plaintiffs’ argument.

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