Tropicana Class Action Says Juice Label Is Deceptive

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Tropicana, whose parent company is PepsiCo, by consumers who claim the company conceals that their juices are artificially flavored.

Plaintiffs Jacqueline Willard and Amie Blackman say Tropicana knowingly adds artificial flavors to their juices but does not label them as such.

The plaintiffs claim that the products are labeled as if it only contains natural ingredients, but in reality, the beverages contain artificial flavors.

Willard and Blackman also state that the defendant gives consumers the impression that the products are pure, natural and not artificially flavored.

One example of the misleading advertising, according to Willard and Blackman, is the “Trop 50 Farmstand Apple,” juice which portrays on its label images of “ripe, fresh” apples and includes the name “Farmstand.” 

By using the phrase “Farmstand” the defendants are deceiving consumers into believing that the product is all natural, the plaintiffs note.

The “Trop 50 Farmstand Apple” juice contains malic acid, the plaintiffs maintain, which is an artificial flavoring agent and functions as an artificial flavor in the product.

As another example, Willard and Blackman point to the “100% Juice” “Apple Juice” beverage, which also contains malic acid. Tropicana allegedly does not disclose that the product contains the artificial flavor.

Other products included in the Tropicana class action lawsuit are Trop 50 No Pulp, Trop 50 Orange Mango, Trop 50 Orange Peach and Trop 50 Pomegranate Blueberry, among others.

The plaintiffs argue that Tropicana did not include that these products are “artificially flavored” or contain “artificial flavor” on the label, as required by federal and state laws.

“Because each Product contains added flavoring ingredients that simulate and reinforce the characterizing flavor, each Product’s front label is required by both federal and state law to disclose that fact,” the Tropicana class action lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs also claim that a compound found in nature is sometimes referred to as malic acid, but this is not what Tropicana puts into their products. The Tropicana class action alleges that the defendant flavors the beverages at issue with the synthetic industrial chemical dl-malic acid.

According to Willard and Blackman, although the malic acid used in the juice is not natural, the defendant pretends otherwise and deceives customers.

“If any characterizing flavor of a Product is not created exclusively by the identified ingredient, the product’s front label must state that the product is flavored with either, or both of, natural or artificial flavorings,” the Tropicana class action lawsuit alleges.

The plaintiffs say they were unaware that the products contained artificial flavors when they purchased it. Allegedly, they did not receive the benefit of a product free of artificial flavoring.

“Plaintiffs received a Product that was unlawfully labeled to deceive consumers into believing that it was naturally flavored and contained no artificial flavoring, in violation of federal and state labeling regulations,” states the Tropicana class action lawsuit.

Did you purchase Tropicana juices thinking they were made without artificial flavors? Leave a message in the comments section below.

The plaintiffs are represented by David Elliot of Elliot Law Office PC, Ronald A Marron of Law Offices of Ronald A. Marron.

The Tropicana Artificial Flavor Class Action Lawsuit is Jacqueline Willard, et al. v. Tropicana Manufacturing Company Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-01501, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

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