Emily Sortor  |  January 28, 2020

Category: Beverages

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vanilla beans with flowerA class action lawsuit alleges that Pacific Foods misrepresents the amount of vanilla in its coconut beverage products.

These claims come on the heels of a separate Pacific Foods class action lawsuit, claiming the company falsely represented the amount of real vanilla in its almondmilk.

New York customer Nicole Papoulis filed the class action lawsuit against Pacific Foods of Oregon LLC after she purchased a coconut beverage product made by the manufacturer.

According to Papoulis, she decided to buy the product because the milk was advertised to be made with vanilla.

Papoulis says that based on the labeling, she believed the drink was made with real vanilla and not imitation vanilla. She discovered the product contained imitation vanilla after she made the purchase.

The Pacific Foods class action lawsuit claims that Pacific Foods intentionally misleads customers into believing the company’s coconut beverage is made with real vanilla because vanilla has a high appeal. To support this claim, the coconut milk class action lawsuit explains that vanilla is the world’s most popular flavor, and is incorporated into many products.

Allegedly, Pacific Foods’ use of fake vanilla is part of a wider trend in the food industry, in which companies increasingly try to substitute fake vanilla for real vanilla but fail to inform consumers of the shift. 

The coconut milk false advertising class action lawsuit goes on to assert that Pacific Foods uses imitation vanilla instead of real vanilla in its products to save money. Allegedly, vanilla is one of the most expensive flavors in the world, and given the popularity of the product, there is pressure on companies to provide a large quantity of it.

According to Papoulis, vanilla is at high risk for imitation, because of the demand and cost. Allegedly, Pacific Foods tried to save money by replacing expensive, real vanilla with cheaper, imitation vanilla—while still capitalizing on buyers’ interest in vanilla.

Papoulis says consumers are led to believe that the product contains real vanilla because the front label bears states “vanilla” and is accompanied by a picture of vanilla beans next to a coconut. 

Despite these allegations, on the back of the product, the nutrition facts list imitation vanilla and not real vanilla. Allegedly, the company effectively tricks consumers into purchasing the product by leading them to think it contains real vanilla, and not revealing that the product is made with artificial vanilla until consumers reach the back of the label.

The Pacific Foods fake vanilla class action lawsuit argues that Papoulis and other customers were harmed by Pacific Foods’ misrepresentations because had they known the coconut beverage was made with fake vanilla as opposed to real, they might not have paid as much as they did for it or would not have purchased it at all.

Have you discovered that a “vanilla” product you purchased contained artificial vanilla? Let us know in the comment section below.

Papoulis is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC.

The Pacific Foods Coconut Milk Vanilla Content Class Action Lawsuit is Nicole Papoulis v. Pacific Foods of Oregon LLC, Case No. 1:20-cv-00432, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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75 thoughts onPacific Foods Class Action Says Coconut Beverage Contains Fake Vanilla

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