Amidst the discussion of deceptive and scary ingredient labels lie offenders accused of misleading consumers into thinking they're making healthy choices. A member of the PepsiCo family, Tropicana has been accused of falsely labelling their orange juice, and "has failed in its bid to dismiss a US class action that claims it falsely labeled its orange juice as "100% pure and natural" despite pasteurization, processing, coloring and flavoring," reports Beverage Daily.
US District Judge Dennis Cavanaugh of New Jersey, delivered his opinion last month after Tropicana filed a motion to dismiss the class action suit last September.
Read more about misleading labels
The plaintiffs in the case are concerned with the manufacturing process of the popular juice beverage, which includes it being "pasteurized, deaerated, stripped of flavor and aroma, stored for long periods of time before [being made] available to the public, and colored and flavored before being packaged," Beverage Daily reports.
Lead counsel Caroline Bartlett stated, "We were pleased [with] the decision, which was very thorough and well-reasoned, and we're looking forward to the next stage, which is discovery, and to presenting our case."
Dennis Lynch is one of seven who purchased the orange juice and believe that Tropicana should have disclosed the addition of flavoring in their ingredients label. Lynch also claims that the "100% pure and natural" statement is misleading and ultimately false. Lynch and the other consumers who filed the suit also point to the notable image that Tropicana uses on its packaging and in ads: an orange with a straw in it. They claim that is another way that the brand misleads customers into thinking they are buying a freshly-squeezed and pure juice product.
Read more about food labels
"Tropicana will now file an answer to an amended complaint on August 5, given that Cavanaugh dismissed two counts against Tropicana but allowed 10 to go forward," reports Beverage Daily.
Photo Credit: Stephane <3
