Walmart Spring Valley Glucosamine Supplement Class Action Lawsuit

Background on Glucosamine Supplements

Glucosamine sulfate is a natural sugar found in the cartilage and fluids that cushion joints, according to WebMD. Glucosamine sulfate can be made with the hard covering of shellfish, where it is found naturally.

Studies on the effectiveness of glucosamine sulfate show it to be most effective in reducing knee pain and other joint pain in individuals with moderate to severe osteoarthritis. Some researchers believe that glucosamine sulfate is more effective than other glucosamine supplements.

Spring Valley Joint Supplements Class Action Lawsuit

Walmart customers filed a false advertising class action lawsuit challenging the labeling of its Spring Valley joint supplements.

The Walmart class action lawsuit, which was filed in June 2019 in a California federal court, alleges the Spring Valley joint supplements do not contain glucosamine sulfate even though the product label clearly indicates that it contains 1,000 mg of glucosamine sulfate.

The plaintiff’s attorneys sent the Spring Valley glucosamine supplements to a laboratory for analysis. The laboratory report concluded that no glucosamine sulfate was present in the joint supplements, the lawsuit said.

“Walmart is selling a dietary supplement that simply is not what it claims to be,” the Spring Valley glucosamine class action lawsuit asserts.

According to the Walmart class action lawsuit, some marketers expect the market for glucosamine supplements to grow to more than $750 million by 2022. Because they are believed to be more effective, glucosamine sulfate joint supplements command a premium price over other types of glucosamine supplements.

The plaintiff asserts that she would not have purchased the Walmart glucosamine joint supplements if she had known that they did not actually contain glucosamine sulfate. The complaint is on behalf of a nationwide Class and a California subclass of people who purchased Spring Valley joint supplements labeled as containing glucosamine sulfate (not for resale purposes).

The Walmart glucosamine lawsuit asserts claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and violations of the California Unfair Competition Law, the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, and the California False Advertising Law.