Two non-profit advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola Co. and the American Beverage Association (ABA) for allegedly deceiving consumers about the health effects of sugary beverages.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of The Praxis Project by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Public Health Advocacy Institute, both consumer advocacy groups.
The groups accuse the Coca-Cola Co. and the ABA of downplaying the risks to boost sales, despite scientific evidence linking sugary beverages to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Specifically, the 40-page complaint claims Coca-Cola and ABA engaged in misinformation campaigns โto thwart and delay efforts of government entities to regulate sugar-sweetened beverages through warning labels, taxes and other measures designed to make consumers aware of the potential for harm.โ
Praxis accuses the companies of using euphemisms such as โbalanceโ and โcalories in, calories outโ to mislead consumers. It also accuses Coca- Cola, the worldโs largest beverage company, of trying to mislead the public into thinking that lack of exercise was the real cause of obesity.
โAlthough defendants have publicly pledged allegiance to objective scientific criteria, they have instead represented falsely that sugar-sweetened beverages are not scientifically linked to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and have waged an aggressive campaign of disinformation about the health consequences of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages,โ Praxis says in the complaint.
โThe notion that Cokeโs products can be part of a healthy-diet is imprinted in the minds of millions of people and requires corrective-action,โ Maia Kats, the Litigation Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) which helped file the lawsuit, stated.
Filed in California federal court Wednesday, the complaint cites a California law prohibiting businesses and organizations from engaging in false and misleading advertising. The complaint cites numerous examples of Coca-Cola and ABA officials making false and deceptive statements about sugar-sweetened drinks.
For example, Coca-Colaโs senior vice president, Katie Bayne, claims that โ[t]here is no scientific evidence that connects sugary beverages to obesity.โ
โCoca-Cola is an excellent complement to the habits of a healthy life,โ said former Coca-Cola chairman and CEO Douglas Ivester. โThere is no unique link between soda consumption and obesity,โ claims a post on the ABAโs website.
Coca-Cola spokesman Kent Landers called the lawsuit โlegally and factually meritless. We take our consumers and their health very seriously and have been on a journey to become a more credible and helpful partner in helping consumers manage their sugar consumption.โ
The ABA commented that the lawsuit was โunfoundedโ and that the association does its part to to reduce the amount of calories and sugar from beverages by working with health groups.
In October, Coca-Colaโs Chief Operating Officer, James Quincey announced that the company has more than 200 โreformulation initiativesโ to reduce added sugar in its beverages.
However, according to the lawsuit, โa 16-ounce bottle of Coke has 12 teaspoons of added sugar, a 15.2- ounce bottle of Minute Maid Cranberry Grape Juice drink has 13 teaspoons, and a 20-ounce bottle of Vitamin water has eight teaspoons of sugar.โ
The American Heart Associationย recommends no more than nine teaspoons of sugar per dayย for men, and six teaspoons for women. One teaspoon of sugar has approximately 16 calories.
Among the consumer advocacy groupsโ requests is an injunctive order to stop Coca-Cola and the ABA from promoting the idea that sugar-sweetened beverages are not linked to obesity, diabetes or cardiovascular disease, and require them to disclose research related to the negative effects of consuming sugary drinks.
The Praxis Project also wants Coca-Cola and the ABA to fund a โcorrective public education campaignโ about soda consumption, and feature the connection between health problems and soda prominently on their websites.
Praxis Project is represented by Maia Kats with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Andrew Rainer with The Public Health Advocacy Institute, and Michael Reese with Reese LLP.
The Coca-Cola Sugary Drinks Lawsuit is Theย Praxis Project v. The Coca-Cola Company, et al., Case No. 3:17-cv-00016-JSC, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
ยฉ2008 โ 2024 Top Class Actionsยฎ LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
72 thoughts onCoca-Cola Downplays Health Risks of Sugary Drinks, Lawsuit Says
how do i file a claim?
Two two liter bottles per day for over 20 years
Had open heart surgery
How to file a claim?
Seriously? You are blaming them for your overindulgence? Even a Trump supporter would realize thatโs terrible for you. People like you are the reason many of these lawsuits come off as frivolous. The information on sugary drinks has been out there for at least 20 years.
I am 39 years old and have been drinking cokes since I was a baby and I am highly over weight 5 foot 7 inches and almost 280 pound wish I could stop but too additive
I feel like I am addicted to Coca Cola. I use to drink a couple a week. Now I drink a 2 liter bottle daily. I wish I could stop but I get so nervous with out it I have to drive to get a couple of bottles to get through the day
I have been drinking Coke for over 50 years and my deceased husband drank diet Coke for over 60 years!!! I now live in CA, but lived 45 years in Arizona and in Massachusetts before that! Drank addicting Coke in all states!
Diet Coke has not been around for 60 years. HAHA
I new about the weight gain, but I wish they would have disclosed the fact that Coke causes kidney stones! I have been trying to cut back but itโs a truly addictive drink.
I have drank at least a half dozen cokes since age 5 that turned into 3 two liter bottles of coke per day every day from the age 48 until age 60. Thats when the pain in my kidneys began preventing me from drinking it. Im addicted and every nowand then i must drink a coke. Now i must do it very carefully or suffer so much pain i swear that im dying!
As a former Account Sales Manager we were always trained to tell our customers that Coca Cola beverages were โHYDRATINGโ and packaging advertised the same. Non carbonated beverages now out sell all carbonated drinks combined.
ALL SODAS ARE SUGARY NO MATTER WHAT AND TOO MUCH OF IT CAN CAUSE TOOTH DECAY, OBESEITY, DIABETES, ETC. EVERYONE KNOWS THIS. YES IT IS WRONG THAT COMPANYS LIE TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS BUT LETS NOT LIE TO OURSELVES PEOPLE. ALSO ALL DARK SODAS CAN BE BAD FOR YOUR KIDNEYS AND CAUSE KIDNEY STONES. SHAKING MY HEAD AT WHAT PEOPLE WILL DO FOR MONEY. SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE LAWSUITS FOR EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING NOW A DAYS.
Seriously. I am all for lawsuits when justified but one does not need to look at Coca-Colaโs claims when the information on how bad sugar and sugar substitutes has been available to everyone for years. Anyone who thought that drinking as much as these people on here claim to be drinking suffers from a lack of self-control. But theyโd rather blame the company because they canโt control themselves.
And that one person on here said they quitting drinking โsofaโ which I think is a wise idea. Those cushions really scratch oneโs throat when going down.
Stopped drinking this sugary drink, even the diet-cola. Wish I was informed sooner that they are unhealthy.