Class Action Lawsuit Targets Resveratrol Supplement Maker

Class Action Lawsuit Targets Resveratrol Supplement Maker

By Anne Bucher

Supplement maker Reserve Life Organics LLC (d/b/a Reserveage Organics) has been targeted by a class action lawsuit accusing the company of falsely advertising its anti-aging products as containing resveratrol derived from organic French red wine grapes and vines, even though the products are allegedly made from cheaper Japanese Knotweed.

In the class action lawsuit, plaintiff Kathleen Holt claims that Reserveage has tricked consumers into paying too much for health supplements that contain very little of the promised resveratrol, an ingredient recognized for its supposed anti-aging capabilities. She says that the company also deceives consumers by omitting that the products contain substantial amounts of magnesium stearate, an additive that is allegedly hazardous and can adversely affect the immune system.

“The main ingredient in resveratrol, and the main ingredient providing substantial resveratrol, is nonorganic Japanese Knotweed, not French red-wine grapes, which is a much cheaper and more plentiful source of natural, as opposed to organic, grape-based resveratrol,” the Resveratrol class action lawsuit says. “In addition, despite defendant’s claim of ‘From the Heart of France,’ plaintiff believes that defendant’s Japanese Knotweed is sourced from China.” 

According to the class action lawsuit, scientists have recently begun to recognize the antioxidant properties of resveratrol, found in high concentrations in certain grapes, as a possible explanation for the perceived health benefits of red wine. These findings have led to the creation of a market for resveratrol supplements.

In its marketing of its resveratrol supplements, Reserve Life touts is commitment to an “organic way of life” and emphasizes the health benefits of organic products. The supplement company uses the word “organic” on its website, social media communications and resveratrol packaging. Holt says that the company’s website claimed that the company’s website boasted that its resveratrol product came from “the rich, organic soil in France, the purest fruit of the vineyard, your source for preserving youth.” 

According to the Resveratrol class action lawsuit, Reserveage emphasizes the term “organic” because it knows that consumers are willing to pay a premium for organic products. “To this day, Defendant has taken few, if meaningful steps to clear up consumers’ misconceptions regarding the Resveratrol product, including Defendant’s intentional omission regarding the presence of magnesium stearate,” the class action lawsuit says. 

As a health conscious person, Holt claims in the class action lawsuit that she reasonably relies on a company’s representations about a product. She frequently relies on representations from a company’s website, social media posts and product labels when making a decision to purchase a product. When she purchased the Reserveage product, she reasonably believed that it contained resveratrol derived from organic French grapes. 

Holt has filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and all California residents who purchased Reserveage resveratrol products within the last four years. She claims the company’s marketing violates California’s False Advertising Law and Unfair Competition law. She also accuses the company of intentional and negligent misrepresentation. 

Holt is seeking an injunction that will bar the company from continuing to advertise that its supplements contain primarily organic resveratrol from French red-wine grapes. She also wants to compel the company to disclose the presence and quantity of magnesium stearate that is allegedly included in the products. 

Holt is represented by Abbas Kazerounian of Kazerouni Law Group APC.

The Resveratrol Class Action Lawsuit is Kathleen Hold v. Reserve Life Organics, Case No. 3:13-cv-02206, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

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