Minute Maid class action alleges juice boxes misleading, falsely advertised as healthy

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Minute Maid juice boxes class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: David Spittal, Jr., Rebecca Crampton, and Mete Karabas filed a class action lawsuit against The Coca-Cola Company. 
• Why: Spittal, Crampton, and Karabas claim Coca-Cola falsely advertises that its Minute Maid juice boxes are healthy. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

The Coca-Cola Company falsely advertises that its Minute Maid juice boxes are healthy, when consuming them actually increases the risk of getting a chronic disease, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiffs David Spittal, Jr., Rebecca Crampton, and Mete Karabas claim Coca-Cola “exploits and deceptively perpetuates the misperception that juice is healthy” by marketing and labeling its Minute Maid juice boxes as “Good for You!” and “Part of a Healthy, Balanced Diet.” 

Spittal, Crampton, and Karabas argue that, in reality, “compelling scientific evidence” shows that fruit juice is “actually unhealthy” because drinking it “increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and all-cause mortality.”

“Many of us grew up believing that drinking fruit juice was healthy, and many parents still believe it is healthy. Because whole fruit is healthy it seems sensible that fruit juice, which is derived from fruit, would also be healthy,” the Minute Maid class action states. 

Spittal, Crampton, and Karabas want to represent a nationwide class and New York and California subclasses who have purchased a Minute Maid Juice Box for personal or household use within the last four years. 

Minute Maid juice boxes each contain between 19g and 21g of free sugar, says class action

The Minute Maid juice boxes contain between 19g and 21g of free sugar — making up between 80% to 100% of the beverage’s calorie contents, the Minute Maid class action alleges. 

Spittal, Crampton, and Karabas argue Coca-Cola — despite the alleged sugar content of the Minute Maid juice boxes — knows consumers are allegedly willing to pay more for products that are marketed and labeled as being healthy. 

“Coca-Cola has taken advantage of this by marketing the Juice Boxes as healthy options, including by promoting them with health and wellness messages directly on their labeling and packaging,” the Minute Maid class action states. 

Spittal, Crampton, and Karabas claim Coca-Cola is guilty of unjust enrichment, intentional misrepresentation, and negligent misrepresentation, and of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law, among other things. 

Plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial and requesting declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of compensatory and punitive damages for themselves and all class members. 

A similar class action lawsuit was filed against Abbott Laboratories last October by a pair of consumers arguing the company falsely advertised its Ensure nutrition drinks as healthy, despite their allegedly high sugar content. 

Have you purchased a Minute Maid Juice Box? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Jack Fitzgerald, Paul K. Joseph, Melanie Persinger, Trevor M. Flynn, and Caroline S. Emhardt of Fitzgerald Joseph LLP. 

The Minute Maid juice boxes class action lawsuit is Spital, et al. v. The Coca-Cola Company, Case No. 3:23-cv-00218, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

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