Class action claims Celestial Seasonings teas contain artificial flavor despite natural claims

Celestial Seasonings class action overview:

• Who: Five consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Celestial Seasonings Inc.
• Why: The plaintiffs allege Celestial Seasonings falsely advertises its herbal tea products as containing only all-natural ingredients.
• Where: The Celestial Seasonings class action lawsuit was filed in Colorado federal court.

AA new class action lawsuit accuses Celestial Seasonings of falsely advertising its herbal tea products as containing only all-natural ingredients.

Lead plaintiff Michelle Carpenter filed the class action complaint against Celestial Seasonings Inc. on Jan. 8 in Colorado federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

According to the class action lawsuit, Celestial Seasonings falsely advertises its herbal teas as “naturally flavored” and free from artificial ingredients, even though they contain synthetic citric acid.

“Defendant’s misrepresentations are intended to convey to consumers exactly what they say — that the teas only contain natural flavors, not synthetic ones,” the lawsuit says.

Celestial Seasonings tea class action alleges synthetic citric acid added as flavoring agent

The plaintiffs allege that the Celestial Seasonings tea products at issue include Lemon Zinger Herbal Tea, Peach + Probiotics Herbal Tea, Country Peach Passion Herbal Tea, Jammin’ Lemon Ginger Herbal Tea and Wild Berry Zinger Herbal Tea.

The front label of each of these products states that the tea is “naturally flavored with other natural flavors” and that the company uses “no artificial flavors or colors,” the Celestial Seasonings class action lawsuit claims.

The plaintiffs argue that these claims are false because the teas contain citric acid, which is synthetically produced and not derived from natural sources.

The plaintiffs claim Celestial Seasonings adds citric acid as a flavoring agent to enhance the tartness of the teas, rather than as a preservative. They claim that this misleads consumers into believing that the teas are all-natural and free from artificial flavorings.

They argue that they relied on the tea’s packaging when making their purchasing decisions, believing that they were buying a product that contained only natural ingredients. They claim they would not have purchased the teas or paid a premium price for them if they had known about the synthetic citric acid.

The plaintiffs seek to represent a nationwide class of consumers who purchased the Celestial Seasonings herbal teas, as well as subclasses for consumers in Illinois, Washington, Minnesota and New York.

They are suing for violations of state and federal consumer laws and seek certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

Meanwhile, acai brand Oakberry also faced a similar class action lawsuit alleging it falsely advertised its products as all natural and preservative-free when they allegedly contain citric acid.

What do you think of the allegations made in this Celestial Seasonings class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Kenneth A. Wexler, Kara A. Elgersma and Andrew D. Yoder of Wexler Boley & Elgersma LLP and Mark R. Miller, Julia Ozello and Matthew J. Goldstein of Wallace Miller.

The Celestial Seasonings class action lawsuit is Carpenter, et al. v. Celestial Seasonings Inc., Case No. 1:26-cv-00086, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

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