Companies Under Fire for Evaporated Cane Juice Label

Consumers are filing class action lawsuits against several food and beverage manufacturers for using false advertising statements on several products. The ingredient at the target of these investigations is “evaporated cane juice.” Companies are being accused of using this term to mislead customers regarding the amount of sugar content in the food.

On March 5, 2014 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) reopened consideration for draft revision for its requirements for the term “cane sugar.” In other words, the number of complaints is so significant that the FDA is considering changing the standards that companies must meet in order to use this ingredient title.

The argument made in many class action lawsuits is that sweeteners derived from cane syrup should not be listed on food labels as cane juice because the sweetener is not juice, as defined by federal regulations. The issue was brought up previously in 2009 when the FDA issued a draft guidance document, advising industries that the common perception of cane juice being the same as sugar or a sweetener is incorrect, and that the title could confuse customers about potential health benefits and calorie content of the goods.

As defined by the FDA, juice means the liquid or extract from one or more fruit or vegetable, which can be used in a variety of products, providing that the products follow federal health regulations. Federal regulations require that the ingredients be adequately and accurately stated on the label of the food or products, for the consumer’s knowledge and understanding.

Sugar and cane juice can be differentiated based on how the ingredients are made, produced and manufactured, and how they compare with different sweeteners.

Overview of Evaporated Cane Juice

Consumers who complained of this issue found the label discrepancy in several food products including yogurt, fruit juice, soy milk, granola, nutrition bars, and other products marketed which are typically advertised as healthy and nutritious. However, class action lawsuits allege these products did not contain evaporated cane juice, but rather dried cane syrup, sugar, or some other sweetener. Customers allege that the reason that companies mislabeled their products this way was to make them appear more natural and healthy.

Armed with allegations of false advertising, numerous consumers across the nation have filed class action lawsuits against these companies. A large portion of them have been filed in California. The charges include false advertising, concealing information, misrepresenting a product, and other similar charges. These class action lawsuits have experienced varying degrees of success.

For example, a class action lawsuit against the company Chobani was dismissed in late February 2014, on the grounds that it was reasonable to expect the consumer to understand that the company was not trying to pass a derivative of cane sugar as something it was not. However, many potential plaintiffs are feeling encouraged because of the FDA’s re-examination of their requirements of this labeling issue.

File a Class Action Lawsuit Today

An Evaporated Cane Juice Deceptive Marketing Class Action Lawsuit Investigation has been launched to find consumers who were deceived by the term “evaporated cane juice” when making their decision to purchase a food product. The evaporated cane juice class action lawsuit investigation is open nationwide to consumers who purchased the following products within the past three years:

• Amy’s Kitchen
• ZenSoy Soymilk
• Zen Pudding
• Soy on the Go
• Erin Baker’s Breakfast Cookies
• Kind “Healthy Grains” Granola
• Greek Gods Greek Yogurt
• Kalona SuperNatural Yogurts
• Roundy’s Almond Milk
• Kefir – Lifeway “Real”
• Kefir – Lifeway “Organic

It’s absolutely free to participate and you could be eligible for compensation. Don’t delay–act now to find out if you qualify to participate in the class action lawsuit investigation.