Steaz Class Action Says ‘Lightly Sweetened’ Claims Are Misleading

A recent class action claims that Steaz tea is not low in sugar despite its label stating the product is “lightly sweetened.”

Plaintiff Tiffany Taylor claims that Steaz tea products are prominently labeled as “lightly sweetened” and “flavored with other natural flavors.”

Taylor argues that the products are misleadingly labeled because “though being represented as low in sugar, they actually contain objectively high amounts of sugar, as added sugar.”

Although sugar may taste good, it can be associated with significant health consequences.

For example, too much sugar consumption can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dental issues, and more. There is also research suggesting that high sugar intake can result in conditions such as cancer and dementia.

Based on these risks, many consumers do their best to avoid high sugar intake and even look for low sugar products.

“At least in part due to growing consumer awareness of health problems caused by excessive sugar consumption, in recent years consumers have shown a distinct preference for products with little or no added sugar,” Taylor notes.

The Steaz tea class action argues that manufacturers such as Tipp Distributors Inc. are aware of the consumer tendency to seek out low sugar products. Based on this trend, companies allegedly emphasize low sugar claims and may aim to deceive consumers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regularly prohibits companies from making “low sugar” claims. Although the agency allows “no sugar” and “less sugar” claims, it prohibits “low sugar” claims due to their tendency to mislead consumers.

According to the Steaz class action lawsuit, Tipp Distributors circumvents these requirements by advertising their Steaz tea products with “lightly sweetened” statements.

Taylor claims these representations are illegal because “this term – and its implication of ‘low sugar’ – are not defined by regulation.”

The Stez class action claims that “lightly sweetened” statements are prohibited because the representations are simply false.

According to the Steaz ingredient list, the second ingredient is cane sugar, and the products contain 20 grams of sugar. This reportedly represents about 40 percent of the daily recommended sugar intake.

“Far from being ‘lightly sweetened’ and low in sugar or low in added sugar, sugar is the second most predominant ingredient in the Product by weight,” the Steaz class action lawsuit alleges.

Taylor claims the product labeling is intentionally misleading to consumers. According to the Steaz class action lawsuit, Tipp Distributors knows that consumers will be more likely to purchase products based on “lightly sweetened” claims.

The plaintiff says she and other consumers would not have purchased the Steaz tea products or would have paid significantly less if they knew the products contained a significant amount of sugar.

Did you purchase Steaz tea believing it to be low in sugar? Share your experiences in the comment section below.

Taylor and the proposed Class are represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC.

The Steaz Lightly Sweetened Tea Class Action Lawsuit is Taylor v. Tipp Distributors Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-00712, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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