The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has notified Kraft Foods Group Inc. that it will sue the company if it continues to misrepresent its Crystal Light products as “natural” because some of these products contain artificial sweeteners and other unnatural ingredients. CSPI issued the demand letter on January 9, 2014 to the company’s chief executive officer, W. Anthony Vernon, regarding Crystal Light products Natural Lemonade, Natural Pink Lemonade, Natural Lemon Decaffeinated Iced Tea, and Natural Lemon Iced Tea. Such written notifications are required by some states before a law suit can be filed.
A quick look at the ingredient panels on these beverage mixes easily reveals that they contain substances that are far from natural. The offensive ingredients include Scary Seven ingredients like aspartame (i.e., Equal, Nutrasweet), acesulfame-potassium (i.e., Sunette, Sweet One), maltodextrin (a synthetic texturizer), BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), and artificial colors (made from petroleum) Red 40, Blue 1, and Yellow 5.
Not only are these ingredients unnatural, they also pose health risks. For example, according to the CSPI:
• Aspartame. In addition to causing cancer in animals, this artificial sweetener is among those associated with headache, dizziness, and preterm delivery among pregnant women.
• Acesulfame-potassium. There’s evidence that the artificial sweetener causes cancer and thyroid problems in animals.
• BHA. This substance helps prevent oils from becoming rancid and has been found to cause cancer in animals. In addition, the US Department of Health and Human Services has labeled BHA as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
• Blue 1. This artificial coloring has not been well studied, but limited research suggests it can cause cancer in animals and may result in allergic reactions.
• Maltodextrin. Although maltodextrin is usually a natural substance made from plant starch (e.g., corn, rice, wheat), companies typically treat the starch with heat, acids, or enzymes that then makes it impossible for the body to break it down. However, CSPI lists maltodextrin on its “safe” list.
• Red 40. This artificial color may cause allergy-like reactions.
• Yellow 5. You may experience hypersensitivity reactions to this artificial color, especially if you are sensitive to aspirin, and it also may trigger hyperactivity in children.
Read more about chemical additives
The nine-page, heavily footnoted (20 total) letter outlines CSPI’s arguments against the use of these unhealthy ingredients in Crystal Light and identifies what it calls “deceptive practices in the marketing” of the named mixes. It emphasizes that “consumers expect the term ‘natural’ to describe products that contain no artificial or synthetic ingredients,” which obviously is not the case for the four Crystal Light mixes. In fact, Kraft’s use of the word “natural” to describe these Crystal Light products not only deceives the public, it also does not meet the Food and Drug Administration’s standard for use of that word. Therefore CSPI has invited Kraft to discuss and respond to these concerns and to resolve them in order to avoid legal action. If the Crystal Light maker chooses to ignore this request, CSPI plans to pursue a lawsuit.
Read about the worst ingredients in foods
In the meantime, as a consumer you can make your voice heard by writing to W. Anthony Vernon at Kraft Foods Group (see link to letter above) or calling the Kraft customer service number: 800-431-1001, 8 AM to 5 PM and say “representative” to speak with a live person. No email address is available. Let them know that you support the CSPI’s efforts and that artificial sweeteners and other unnatural ingredients should not be in products that claim to be natural.
Photo credit: (top) bloomingbeauty, GoogleImages/drinkwhat.com
