Carlson Class Action Says Aloe Vera Soft Gels Contain No Aloe

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Carlson Aloe Vera Gel products contain no detectable amount of aloe vera gel, according to a class action lawsuit filed in New York federal court against J.R. Carlson Laboratories Inc. d/b/a Carlson Laboratories (“Carlson”).

According to the aloe vera class action lawsuit, Carlson advertises, markets, sells and distributes its aloe vera gel products in 25 mg or 100 mg soft gel pills.

Carlson’s website allegedly advertises the 25 mg aloe vera gel product as containing “only the fresh, thick inner gel of the aloe vera leaf” and that each soft gel pill provides the “equivalent” of “5,000 mg of Aloe Vera Gel.”

Plaintiff David Heydt asserts that independent lab testing has shown that Carlson Aloe Vera Gel products actually contain no detectable amount of aloe vera gel. He says that Carlson’s representations and advertisements about the aloe vera gel products are false, misleading, deceptive, “and in violation of almost every state warranty, consumer protection, and product labeling law in the United States.”

Aloe vera gel, which is made from the extract of the aloe vera plant leaf, is often used to moisturize and soothe dry and irritated skin. According to the false advertising class action lawsuit, a 1999 study in the British Journal of General Practice found that consuming aloe vera may reduce glucose levels and lower cholesterol.

“Naturally, these finding sparked renewed interest in products containing Aloe Vera,” the aloe vera class action lawsuit states.

The key chemical component of aloe vera gel is acemannan. However, improper manufacturing processes can result in aloe vera products that actually contain little to no acemannan, the aloe vera class action lawsuit alleges.

Heydt says that when his attorney had the Carlson Aloe Vera Gel products tested, the testing showed no acemannan. “Based on these test results, Defendant’s claim that its Product contains ‘Aloe Vera Gel’ is false,” the Carlson Laboratories class action lawsuit asserts.

Because the product contains no acemannan, the value of the Carlson Aloe Vera Gel products is diminished, Heydt argues. He says Carlson deceived consumers by listing Aloe Vera Concentrate as the first item on the product label under “supplement facts,” because acemannan is the active ingredient. Further, the product does not contain detectable acemannan, meaning the product does not actually contain aloe vera gel.

“The above facts all add up to a single conclusion: Defendant developed and knowingly employs a marketing strategy designed to deceive consumers,” the aloe vera gel class action lawsuit alleges. “The only conceivable purpose of this scheme is to stimulate sales and enhance Defendant’s profits.”

Heydt says he purchased Carlson Aloe Vera Gel in New York within the last three years. According to the aloe vera class action lawsuit, he would not have purchased the product if he had known that it was misbranded.

However, he says he may decide to purchase the product again in the future if it is reformulated to contain the advertised amount of aloe vera gel.

The Carlson aloe vera class action lawsuit asserts violations of New York business law, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, unjust enrichment and the violation of dozens of state consumer protection statutes.

Heydt is represented by Michael J. Gabrielli of Gabrielli Levitt LLP.

The Carlson Aloe Vera Gel Class Action Lawsuit is David Heydt v. J.R. Carlson Laboratories Inc. d/b/a Carlson Laboratories, Case No. 2:16-cv-07149, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.