Grand Brands, Inc. does business as True Citrus or True Lemon. It makes packets of drink mixes that consumers use to flavor water. The packet labels claim to contain only “simple and clean” ingredients and “natural flavors,’ but the complaint for this class action alleges that this creates the false perception that the drink mixes are more natural and healthier than other similar drink mixes.
The class for this action is all US citizens who bought the products at retail, in any state or territory of the US, for personal use and not for resale, between September 1, 2014 and the date the Notice is disseminated to the class for this case. There is also a California Subclass, for those who bought the products in California.
The products at issue include the following:
- True Lemon Original Lemonade drink mix
- True Lemon Raspberry Lemonade drink mix
- True Lemon Strawberry Lemonade drink mix
- True Lime Black Cherry drink mix
The drink mix packets claim on their fronts and backs to be “Naturally Flavored” and “Made from Real Lemons” or “Made from Real Limes” and to contain “No Artificial Sweeteners.” At least one describes the ingredients in it as “Crystalized Lemon.”
However, the complaint claims that the packets contain a synthetic ingredient known as dl-malic acid, which is made from petroleum. This is added to the products, the complaint says, “to create and reinforce the tart and fruit flavors that consumers associate with the fruit listed and depicted on the Products’ labels.”
Malic acid comes in both natural and synthetic types. Because of this, food makers must identify the type of malic acid used in food or drink products and cannot simply use the generic term “malic acid.”
The type of malic acid known as dl-malic acid is not “natural.” The complaint says, “The dl-malic acid that [True Citrus or True Lemon] adds to the Products is an artificial flavor that must be disclosed on both the front and back Product labels under California and federal law.”
In addition, the complaint says the company “misleadingly labels the Products with depictions of real fruit and claims that they are ‘naturally flavored’ and ‘made from’ real fruit.”
A further misleading element, it says is the description of the ingredients as “Crystallized Lemon” or “Crystallized Lime.” The complaint says this is untrue: “The Products do not contain any ‘Crystallized Lemon’ or ‘Crystallized Lime.’ The Products consist of, for example, manufactured citric acid and synthetic dl-malic acid with sugar and minor amounts of lemon oil and lemon juice for additional flavoring.”
The ingredient panel of one of the products is reproduced in the complaint. It includes “Crystallized Lemon (Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Lemon Oil, Lemon Juice), Cane Sugar, Natural Flavor, Stevia Leaf Extract, Beta-Carotene (for Color).”
The complaint alleges that consumers paid more for the products because they were labeled as being naturally flavored.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
True Lemon or True Lime Mislabeled Drink Mix Packets Complaint
September 28, 2020
Grand Brands, Inc. does business as True Citrus or True Lemon. It makes packets of drink mixes that consumers use to flavor water. The packet labels claim to contain only “simple and clean” ingredients and “natural flavors,’ but the complaint for this class action alleges that this creates the false perception that the drink mixes are more natural and healthier than other similar drink mixes.
True Lemon or True Lime Mislabeled Drink Mix Packets ComplaintCase Event History
True Lemon or True Lime Mislabeled Drink Mix Packets Complaint
September 28, 2020
Grand Brands, Inc. does business as True Citrus or True Lemon. It makes packets of drink mixes that consumers use to flavor water. The packet labels claim to contain only “simple and clean” ingredients and “natural flavors,’ but the complaint for this class action alleges that this creates the false perception that the drink mixes are more natural and healthier than other similar drink mixes.
True Lemon or True Lime Mislabeled Drink Mix Packets Complaint