LaCroix Ingredients Include Synthetic Chemicals, Class Action Says

LaCroix ingredients may include synthetic chemicals, according to class action allegations that the sparkling water is not natural.

LaCroix beverages are popular soda alternatives, touted for their healthier ingredients and, at times, criticized for their subtle flavors. However, the flavors, which have been likened to tasting the memory of a fruit, may be derived from artificial ingredients according to recent class action allegations.

National Beverage, LaCroix’s parent company, faces several lawsuits from consumers claiming that many LaCroix ingredients can’t reasonably be considered natural. One plaintiff, Lenora Rice, claims in her LaCroix ingredients class action that the products’ advertising intentionally misleads consumers into believing that the products are made from natural ingredients.

“Testing reveals that LaCroix contains a number of artificial ingredients, including linalool, which is used in cockroach insecticide,” plaintiff counsel said in a statement, according to CBS News. Other allegedly artificial LaCroix ingredients include ethyl butanoate, limonene, linalool, and linalool propionate.

Aside from linalool’s reported use in cockroach insecticide, limonene has allegedly been linked to tumors and kidney problems, and linalool propionate has been reportedly used in cancer treatment drugs.

Based on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations which classify ingredients as natural or artificial, Rice argues these ingredients are artificial, and that this makes National Beverage’s “natural” advertisements false and deceptive.

However, National Beverage counters that these allegations are unfounded and that LaCroix ingredients are derived from “100% essences” which are used in the beverages’ flavoring.

“Natural flavors in LaCroix are derived from the natural essence oils from the named fruit used in each of the flavors,” the company refuted in a statement. “There are no sugars or artificial ingredients contained in, nor added to, those extracted flavors.”

Rice filed her LaCroix ingredients class action lawsuit in October 2018 only one month after National Beverage announced that its revenue passed the $1 billion mark for the year. The company’s net sales increased this year from $646 million in 2015 and $827 million in 2017.

However, Rice claims this increase in profits was made at the expense of consumers who believed the company’s representations about LaCroix ingredients. Because National Beverage allegedly fails to disclose the synthetic ingredients in their products, Rice argues that they are able to swindle consumers into purchasing beverages under the guise of natural LaCroix ingredients.

“Thousands of consumers purchase defendant’s water under the mistaken belief that it conforms with representations made by defendant on LaCroix’s packaging and advertisements,” Rice claims in her LaCroix ingredients class action. “Because LaCroix water is, in fact, composed of substances that are not ‘all natural’ there are thousands of purchasers of defendant’s product — including plaintiff and class members — who would not have purchased LaCroix water had they known defendant’s representations were false.”

National Beverage doesn’t take these claims lightly. The company has dubbed Rice’s allegations as “false, defamatory and intended to intentionally damage National Beverage and its shareholders.” The company reportedly plans to “vigorously” seek damages to compensate for the “defamatory falsehoods”.