Cove class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Jackie Lee Williams filed a class action lawsuit against Cove Drinks Inc.
- Why: Williams claims Cove falsely advertises its Cove probiotic soda as containing no artificial sweeteners.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
A new class action lawsuit accuses Cove of falsely advertising its Cove probiotic soda as containing no artificial sweeteners.
Plaintiff Jackie Lee Williams filed the class action complaint against Cove Drinks on June 3 in California federal court, alleging violations of state consumer protection laws.
According to the class action lawsuit, Cove probiotic sodas are misbranded and falsely advertised because they feature label claims falsely stating that they contain no artificial sweeteners.
Williams says she bought the Dr. Cove flavor of the drink at a GTM Market in Santee, California, on or about May 15, 2026, and in or around the first half of March 2026.
She says she purchased the drinks because she associated products marketed as being free from artificial ingredients with a healthier lifestyle.
However, she claims the sodas contain 10 grams of erythritol, and that every flavor of the products contains 8-12 grams of erythritol, generally the second most common ingredient in the products after water.
Class action: Erythritol manufactured, not natural
Williams claims that the erythritol used in the products — and used in every mass-produced food — is commercially manufactured through industrial fermentation and multi-step processing.
She argues reasonable consumers would not understand such an ingredient to be consistent with a representation that the products contain “no artificial sweeteners.”
“Reasonable consumers would not expect commercially manufactured erythritol produced from the multi-step process described herein to be present in beverages labeled ‘No Artificial Sweeteners,’” the class action lawsuit says.
Williams is looking to represent anyone in the state of California who purchased Cove sodas marketed with the representation “no artificial sweeteners” that contained erythritol within four years prior to the filing of this complaint.
She is suing for violations of California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act and Business & Professions Code as well as unjust enrichment and breach of express warranty.
The plaintiff is seeking certification of the Cove class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.
In other healthwashing allegations, another “functional soda” manufacturer Olipop is facing claims that its prebiotic soda products do not contain enough fiber to provide any meaningful digestive health benefits.
What do you think of the allegations made in this Cove class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Charles C. Weller of Charles C. Weller APC.
The Cove class action lawsuit is Williams v. Cove Drinks Inc., Case No. 3:26-cv-03374, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
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