Coca-Cola class action alleges Fanta dragon fruit falsely advertised as having 100% natural flavors

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Coca-Cola Fanta dragon fruit class action overview: 

• Who: A consumer sued Coca-Cola over its dragon fruit-flavored Fanta.
• Why: The plaintiff says the product is marketed as having all natural flavors when it does not.
• Where: The Coca-Cola class action lawsuit was filed in a Florida federal court.

Coca-Cola markets dragon fruit-flavored Fanta as containing natural flavors when the dragon fruit flavor comes from malic acid, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Antionette Smith filed the class action complaint against The Coca-Cola Company Sept. 2 in a Florida federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws. 

Coca-Cola makes and sells dragon fruit-flavored soda that claims to have “100% Natural Flavors” under the Fanta brand, the lawsuit states.

However, the representations are false, deceptive and misleading because the product contains DL-Malic Acid, an artificial ingredient which imparts the flavor of dragon fruit, according to the Fanta dragon fruit class action.

“Though the ingredients include ‘Natural Flavors,’ they also include ‘Malic Acid,’” the lawsuit says.

Fanta dragon fruit does not disclose malic acid, Coca-Cola class action says

The product contains more malic acid than natural flavors and does not disclose it, the lawsuit alleges.

“Unbeknownst to consumers, the ingredient list does not disclose that this malic acid is an artificial ingredient which imparts dragon fruit flavoring to the Product,” according to the Coca-Cola class action. 

The taste of dragon fruit is the result of the combination of its natural sugars of glucose, fructose and sucrose combined with its most significant fruit acid, L-Malic Acid, the Fanta dragon fruit lawsuit claims.

Coca-Cola sold more of the product and at higher prices than it would have if it had been honest, Smith says. 

“Had Plaintiff and proposed class members known the truth, they would not have bought the Product or would have paid less for it,” according to the Fanta dragon fruit lawsuit. 

Smith looks to represent anyone in Florida who bought the product plus a consumer fraud multistate class of people from Alabama, New Mexico, Mississippi, Utah, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

She sued for breach of Florida consumer laws, breach of contract, fraud, unjust enrichment and negligent misrepresentation and seeks certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial. 

The news comes after a Fanta consumer sued The Coca-Cola Company in March for characterizing its berry Fanta beverage as 100% natural when it actually has significantly artificial flavoring. In August, Coca-Cola filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. 

What do you think of the allegations in this Coca-Cola Fanta dragon fruit class action lawsuit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

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