Naked Juice Agrees to $9M Class Action Settlement Over ‘All Natural’ Claims

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Naked Juice Co. has agreed to a $9 million class action settlement over claims the company falsely advertised some of its juices and smoothies as “all natural” and free of genetically modified ingredients.

Under the terms of the Naked Juice class action settlement, Class Members will be able to receive a full refund of the money they paid at retail for eligible products, up to a maximum of $75 with proof of purchase. Consumers without proof of purchase are eligible to receive between $5 and $45 in cash.

The Class in the Naked Juice class action settlement is defined as: “All persons and entities in the United States who purchased one or more of the Eligible Products from September 27, 2007 up to and including the date that the Class Notice is initially published.”

While Naked Juice has denied the allegations, the company has agreed to redesign its labels to remove the alleged misrepresentations. Naked Juice will also set up a verification program to confirm the accuracy of the ingredients contained in its products.

The first complaints were filed against Naked Juice in 2011. The five putative class action lawsuits were consolidated in the Central District of California in 2012 with an amended complaint. In this 2012 consolidated class action lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that the company had engaged in deceptive advertising when it indicated that its products were all natural and non-GMO when its products actually contained processed and synthetic ingredients and ingredients from genetically modified crops. Specifically, they claim that Naked Juice falsely advertised some of its juice and smoothie products as “All Natural,” “non-GMO,” “100% Fruit,” “100% Juice,” and “From Concentrate.”

The plaintiffs allege that Naked Juice’s labels are likely to deceive reasonable customers. The products contain unnatural, synthetic ingredients such as ascorbic acid, beta carotene, D-calcium panthothenate, among other ingredients. The plaintiffs also allege that Naked Juice did not adequately disclose that its juices and smoothies were made from concentrate.

More information about the Naked Juice class action settlement can be found on the Settlement Administrator’s website, www.NakedJuiceClass.com, which has not officially been launched yet. Claim Forms will be available on this website and can be submitted online. While the terms of the settlement have not yet been approved by a judge, the proposed claims filing deadline is December 10, 2013.

Naked Juice stressed that the class action settlement was not evidence of wrongdoing on its part: “While Naked Juice denies all of plaintiffs’ claims in these consolidated actions, denies any and all allegations of wrongdoing, fault, liability or damage of any kind to plaintiffs and the putative class, and vigorously disputes that it has engaged in any actionable conduct, it has agreed to resolve the cases to avoid the expenses, uncertainties, delays and other risks inherent in continued litigation.”

Naked Juice believes that the terms of the class action settlement are “fair, reasonable and adequate.”

The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit are represented by Tina Wolfson and Robert Ahdoot of Ahdoot & Wolfson PC, Rosemary M Rivas of Finkelstein Thompson LLP and Christopher Ridout of Ridout Lyon and Ottoson.

The Naked Juice Class Action Lawsuit case is Natalie Pappas v. Naked Juice Co. of Glendora Inc. et al., Case No. 11-cv-08276, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

UPDATE 1: Details on how to file a claim for the Naked Juice Class Action Settlement are up!

UPDATE 2: The Settlement Administrator has reported that all appeals of the Naked Juice class action settlement have been resolved, and distribution of the settlement funds is expected to begin this summer. The following update was posted on the settlement website: “The appeals to the settlement have been resolved and the Effective Date of the settlement was April 25, 2014. It is anticipated that payments to approved claims will occur in the Summer of 2014. If you have moved since making a claim before the deadline of December 17, 2013, please update your mailing address by sending an email to info@nakedjuiceclass.com.” 

UPDATE 3: Money from the $9 million Naked Juice class action lawsuit settlement was mailed to eligible Class Members on June 23, 2014. If you receive a payment, let us know!