LaCroix Class Action Lawsuit Claims Sparkling Waters are Not So Natural

In a recent LaCroix class action lawsuit, a woman from Illinois alleges that the National Beverage Co. misleads the public about its sparkling waters.

According to plaintiff Lenora Rice in her LaCroix class action lawsuit, the waters are not so natural. By using the word “natural” frequently in their labeling and advertising campaigns, Rice claims, the makers of the popular beverage line are exploiting consumers’ interest in natural products to sell them ingredients they wouldn’t consider truly “natural.”

Among the compounds added to the waters and listed in the LaCroix class action lawsuit are ethyl butanoate, limonene, linalool, and linalool propionate, Rice claims. The plaintiff says these compounds are associated with other uses and side effects which the public might find troubling if they were fully disclosed.

For instance, the complaint says that linalool is also an active ingredient in insecticides, and linalool propionate is used as medication to treat cancerous conditions. Finally, limonene has been linked to the development of renal system problems and tumors, the complaint says.

But according to Rice, the ingredient list on LaCroix sparkling waters merely identify carbonated water and natural flavors as included in the products.

The named defendant, National Beverage Co., takes issue with Rice’s allegations.  In a statement, the company says the flavorings in their line of sparkling waters come from the oils of the fruit they are intended to taste like. In advertising and communications, the company has referred to these as “natural essence oils.” Additionally, the company claims it does not add anything to this mix such as flavor enhancers or other artificial chemicals.

But Rice says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has characterized the ingredients at issue to be synthetic. Rice claims in the LaCroix class action lawsuit that the FDA classifications make the defendant’s advertising extremely misleading, if not downright wrong. She argues that the company cannot say that their products are totally natural or naturally derived with these substances in them.

Rice hopes to represent a Class of consumers that have purchased LaCroix sparkling waters in the state of Illinois within the last four years. On behalf of herself and members of this Class, she is bringing counts of unjust enrichment, breach of express warranties, and violation of state consumer protection laws.

In the LaCroix class action lawsuit, Rice is asking for profit disgorgement, damages, as well as all attorney and court fees associated with the legal action. National Beverage Co. says that they intend to follow up with a countersuit in which they will seek actual and punitive damages for promulgating false information about their products and methods.

The LaCroix Class Action Lawsuit is Rice v. National Beverage Co., Case No. 2018­CH­12302 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.