Nature Made Class Action Claims Gummy Vitamins Lie About Artificial Flavoring

Nature Made Gummy Vitamins Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

• Who: An Illinois resident is suing Pharmavite, the company behind Nature Made vitamins and supplements. 
• Why: The plaintiff claims the Nature Made fruit-flavored gummy vitamins contain artificial flavors despite the front label claiming the opposite.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court.

Pharmavite LLC faces a class action lawsuit over its Nature Made brand fruit-flavored gummy vitamins. The plaintiff, Laura Harmon, alleges that contradictory to its front label claim of “No Artificial Flavors – Natural Fruit Flavors,” the gummy vitamins do contain artificial flavors. 

The berry-flavored gummies’ front label also shows “Orange, Cherry & Mixed Berry With Other Natural Flavors” and images of an orange, raspberry, cherry and strawberry. 

“For decades, consumers have relied on the Nature Made brand and its green leaf logo to expect dietary supplements made with natural ingredients,” the class action lawsuit says. This, paired with the gummies’ front label representation, leads consumers to expect the product contains only natural fruit flavors.

These representations are “false, deceptive, and misleading” because the product contains DL-malic acid, a derivative of malic acid, that is commercially made from petroleum products, according to court documents.

Nature Made Gummy Vitamins Flavored With Petroleum-Made Compound

In performing a lab test on the gummy vitamins, an advantage most consumers do not have, Harmon found that the gummies contain DL-malic acid. However, in the product’s ingredients list, Pharmavite lists the simple form “malic acid.” This violates federal and state regulations that require ingredients to “be listed by their specific and not general name,” the complaint says.

Moreover, malic acid is listed ahead of natural flavors, indicating a higher level of malic acid. Combining DL-malic acid with natural sugars “is not equivalent to the natural flavor of [the] characterizing fruits and flavors,” the complaint argues. 

The class action lawsuit claims that Pharmavite had the option to add natural fruit flavors but used DL-malic acid “because it was likely cheaper or more accurately resembled the natural fruit flavors than citric acid or other acids.”

Harmon seeks to represent an Illinois class of everyone in the state who purchased the product during the statutes of limitations for each allegation and a consumer fraud multistate class that also covers purchasers in Arkansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota, West Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Alaska and Montana.

Harmon seeks injunctive relief directing Pharmavite to correct its challenged practices, restitution and disgorgement, monetary damages, statutory and/or punitive damages, interest and reasonable attorneys’ and experts’ costs. 

Have you purchased a Nature Made gummy vitamin or similar product believing it to be free of artificial flavors? Share your thoughts below!

The plaintiff is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates, P.C.

The Nature Made Gummy Vitamins Class Action Lawsuit is Harmon v. Pharmavite LLC, Case No. 3:22-cv-50091, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Western Division.

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