Naked Pure Coconut Water Is Mislabeled, Class Action Lawsuit Says

A New York woman has filed a class action lawsuit against the maker of Naked Pure Coconut Water over what she calls its misleading and deceptive packaging.

Ruby Harrisingh of Brooklyn, New York has accused Naked Juice Co. of Glendora Inc. of violating state business laws, making negligent misrepresentations, committing fraud and unjust enrichment by labeling its coconut water as pure even though it contains “other” flavors.

She intends the class action to be conducted on behalf of all customers who, like her, have purchased Naked Pure Coconut Water thinking it was pure. It is unclear how many Class Members that might include.

Naked Juice Co., a California based corporation that does business in New York, manufactures, markets and sells Naked Pure Coconut Water. According to the class action lawsuit filed by Harrisingh, the beverage is sold in 16.9-ounce cartons for a minimum of $2.29.

Labeling on the front of the cartons says, “Pure Coconut Water” and “With Other Natural Flavors.”

Harrisingh claims the “pure” portion of the label appears in bold type on a white background at the top of the carton, while the “other flavors” disclaimer is near the bottom of the package “located amidst other label statements, above a background which makes identifying this statement difficult.”

The list of ingredients, which appears on the back of the carton, lists organic coconut water and natural flavor.

At issue, according to the plaintiff, is that the labeling is designed to mislead consumers about the purity of the coconut water beverage. Given that the product contains “natural flavors,” it cannot truly be considered pure.

“[Naked] misrepresented the substantive, quality, compositional and/or environmental attributes” of the coconut water, the class action lawsuit claims.

Harrisingh says she purchased cartons of Naked Pure Coconut Water “on one or more occasions … in or around October 2019.” At least one of those times, she got the beverage from a Pathmark grocery store in Brooklyn, the class action lawsuit states.

She paid at least the suggested retail price for the beverage because she believed, based on the labeling, the drink was “pure” coconut water. She would not have purchased the drink if she understood it contained other, non-coconut ingredients, her class action lawsuit says.

“Reasonable consumers understand the term ‘pure’ to describe a food without any added ingredients,” the Naked Pure Coconut Water class action states.

Harrisingh also claims Naked Juice Co. was able to sell more cartons of the Naked Pure Coconut Water at a higher price with the misleading label than it would have if the packaging did not advertise the product to be pure coconut water. That means the company reaped higher profits by deceiving its customers, Harrisingh said.

“The value of the product that plaintiff purchased and consumed was materially less than …  represented by defendant,” the Naked Pure Coconut Water class action lawsuit says. It goes on to insist that “had (the) plaintiff and class members known the truth, they would not have bought the product or would have paid less for them.”

As more Americans strive to live a healthy lifestyle, and incorporate as many natural and organic food and beverage products as possible into their diets, coconut water has grown into a substantial cottage industry.

Businesswire reports that the coconut water market in the U.S. is poised to grow by $2.2 billion between 2020 and 2024.

Consumers are drawn to the taste of coconut water – it is harvested from the interior cavity of young, green coconut fruits – and to its health benefits. Coconut water is low in calories and contains antioxidants, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, and manganese. According to the Businesswire report, the tropical drink can also help to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Harrisingh says in the class action lawsuit that she “intends to, seeks to, and will purchase the (Naked Pure Coconut Water) again when she can do so with the assurance that (its) labels are consistent with the (its) components.”

Have you purchased Naked Pure Coconut Water? Were you persuaded to do so because it is labeled as “pure” beverage? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Harrisingh is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan and Associates PC.

The Naked Pure Coconut Water Class Action Lawsuit is Ruby Harrisingh, et al. v. Naked Juice Co. of Glendora, Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-04036, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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