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A disgruntled consumer filed a class action lawsuit against the Coca-Cola Co. Tuesday, alleging that it fraudulently promotes its “Simply Orange” juice product as “fresh” when the company allegedly uses stored ingredients and artificial flavor packs to manufacture the juice.
Lead plaintiff, California resident Gwen Phelps, claims in the Simply Orange juice class action lawsuit that she was deceived by Simply Orange’s labeling which included “such terms as: ‘100% Pure Squeezed,’ ‘Fresh Taste Guaranteed, ‘100% Orange Juice,’ and ‘No Water or Preservatives Added.'”
Phelps also alleges that “the Simply Orange website states, ‘since the launch of Simply Orange® in 2001, we have been making orange juice simple, the way nature intended.'” Instead, the Coca-Cola class action lawsuit claims, “the Simply Orange products are actually concocted via a highly-engineered and unnatural process – any thing but natural.”
The Simply Orange class action lawsuit claims that Coca-Cola uses a “Black Book” process to make the juices for Simply Orange.
“Black Book is not a natural growing process, but rather, an algorithm that includes data about consumer preferences and approximately 600 flavors that make up an orange,” the class action lawsuit says.
Phelps alleges that “Coca-Cola matches flavor data to a profile detailing many of the characteristics of an orange,” and “these ‘batches’ consist of a tank full of raw juice that may be as much as eight months to a year old. Portions from multiple batches are mixed together, some newer and some older, for a ‘fresh’ taste according to Black Book algorithms,” continues the class action lawsuit.
The Simply Orange class action lawsuit further alleges that, after processing removes taste and flavor, “Coca-Cola employs flavor and fragrance companies to engineer ‘flavor packs’ to inject back into the juice product to make it taste fresh – the same fragrance companies that formulate perfumes.”
The Coca-Cola class action lawsuit claims that Phelps and other similarly situated consumers have, or have had “a tasteless and colorless substance, that has been brought back to life via the Black Book process. It is inconceivable that consumers are aware that in purchasing Simply Orange for consumption, they are actually purchasing older batches of mixed product, engineered with algorithms and flavor packs, concocted via an unnatural process.”
Phelps claims that Coca-Cola’s labeling and marketing of Simply Orange juice and failure to disclose the production process of the product constitutes intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, and false and misleading statements and violates California’s Business and Profession Code and the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act
The Simply Orange class action lawsuit is brought on behalf of a proposed Class of all California residents who purchased Simply Orange products in the state within 10 years prior the filing of the complaint. Phelps is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, an order requiring Coca-Cola to issue an advertising campaign correcting alleged misperceptions about Simply Orange products, and attorney fees and costs.
This is not the first class action lawsuit to be filed over the process in which Simply Orange juice is made. A Simply Orange juice class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois in April 2012. Since then, multiple other class action lawsuits have been filed. Multidistrict litigation has been pending against The Coca-Cola Co. involving similar allegations about its Simply Orange juice products in Missouri federal court. A total of 7 class action lawsuits are filed within the Simply Orange MDL.
Lead plaintiff, Gwen Phelps, is represented by Olivier A. Taillieu and Gilbert Perez III of National Injury Law Firm LLP.
The Coca-Cola Simply Orange Juice Class Action Lawsuit is Gwen Phelps v. The Coca-Cola Co., et al., Case No. BC547592, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.
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49 thoughts onCoca-Cola Faces New Simply Orange Juice Class Action Lawsuit
I have been buying and drinking this juice for years. I’m late because I purchased a small jug last week to drink as I take my iron pill. OMG, it seems that everything we eat or drink will give us cancer. Add me to the list.
Been drinking this for years, currently pregnant and my kids and family have also been drinking Simply for years. Would like to know more about this class action.
I’ve been buying and drinking for some years now like to know more or be part of class action law suit
OMG, I have been buying this for too many years and getting it for my 80+ year old inlaws, my son and daughter, my grandson has had some at my house, How outrageous, natural, healthy, and I just now hear of all the previous lawsuits for contamination and they have known, just because they are not testing it means they can lie and poison millions of people like me, it’s not a cheep product to buy you can’t help but feel that the people involved should be forced to drink it for 20 years.
We are buying this for our toddler. Clearly a bad idea as the big coca cola puts greed ahead of customers. This is outrageous!
It tastes like rotten orange juice now. Has the last twontimes I tried. Absolute garbage. Used to be trustworthy….those days are GONE.
DO NOT BUY THIS ROTTEN TASTING FILTH.
Add me
Add me
Please add me 2 class action suit vs Simply Orange
I have been purchasing this item for years. The only juice I buy other than my boyfriend likes Bright/early orange juice. I thought I was buying a healthy orange juice. Bought 2 of the 2 in a pk at Sam’s in Monroe Louisiana. Want to file a claim!
Please do! I’ve been buying this for my twin boys for years thinking it was “healthy”… I’m Livid!
I been buying Simply Orange Juice for 2 yrs for my daughter who is anemic doctor said buy orange juice and give her 1 iron pill in the morning 1 iron pill at night with orange juice it will rise her iron level thinking it’s ok for her to drink simply orange juice now I hear this . Is there any class action in Chicago
We will let our viewers know if the class is expanded to include additional states!
Thinking it was healthy, my family has been drinking this orange juice for years