PowerBar Class Action Says Clean Whey Protein Bars Falsely Advertised

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A class action lawsuit claims that PowerBar’s Clean Whey Protein Bar is falsely advertised because it does not contain the “cleanest” form of whey protein.

Allegedly, the product contains a lower-quality form of whey protein than advertised.

Plaintiff Russell Ransom claims that in 2017, he purchased a PowerBar Clean Whey Protein Bar for $3.99 in Kings County, New York.

He says he relied on the product’s labeling and advertising to make his purchase decision. However, the PowerBar class action lawsuit claims that he was misled about the nature of the protein in the bar.

The plaintiff alleges that he would not have purchased the PowerBar or would not have paid as much for it if he had known the true nature of the bar.

Ransom’s PowerBar class action lawsuit alleges that Premier Nutrition Corporation, the makers of the PowerBar brand protein bars, intentionally falsely advertises the bar as “clean” to entice consumers concerned with healthy eating.

Allegedly, terms like “clean” eating and “clean” foods are now commonly used to describe healthy foods, and consumers assume that if a food is listed as “clean,” it is healthy or a pure form of the food.

Ransom notes that whey and milk proteins are valued by consumers because they are beneficial in building muscle mass.

The PowerBar Clean Whey Protein Bar class action lawsuit claims that consumers who seek to build muscle mass, as the target demographic of consumerism who purchase PowerBars do, allegedly will look for the most concentrated form of milk or whey protein to give them the greatest benefits.

Ransom’s whey protein PowerBar class action lawsuit then goes on to claim that when consumers see the word “clean” on the Clean Whey Protein Bar label, they will assume that the bar contains the purest, or “cleanest” form of whey protein.

Allegedly, this is not the case, because the bar contains whey protein concentrate, as opposed to whey protein isolate, which is considered a purer form of whey protein.

Individuals who purchase products with whey protein allegedly prefer products with whey protein isolate because it has a higher protein content, is lower in carbohydrates, and lower in lactose and fat than whey protein concentrate.

At the same time, the process required to produce whey protein isolate is more laborious and costly than the process required to produce whey protein concentrate, Ransom states.

The PowerBar protein class action lawsuit claims that the Clean Whey Protein Bars contain whey protein concentrate, not whey protein isolate.

The whey protein bar class action lawsuit alleges that the makers of PowerBar Clean Whey Protein Bars intentionally mislead consumers into thinking that they are receiving a higher-quality and more desirable product than they are.

Allegedly, this allows the company to charge a premium for what consumers believe to be a valuable product but is a lower-quality and more cheaply made one.

Ransom is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC, and Joshua Levin-Epstein of Levin-Epstein & Associates PC.

The PowerBar Clean Whey Protein Bar Class Action Lawsuit is Russell Ransom v. Premier Nutrition Corporation, Case No. 1:18-cv-04617, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.