An Illinois man is accusing Coca-Cola Co. of botching a breakfast staple.
On Friday, Randall Davis sued Coca-Cola, saying the company’s Simply Orange juice brand—which is labeled as “100% Pure Squeezed Orange Juice”—isn’t as pure and natural as it claims. Davis says the company extensively processes the product and supplements it with chemically engineered “flavor packs.” He accuses Coca-Cola of fraud and seeks class action status.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola spokesperson Susan Stribling told Thomson Reuters that the company’s Simply Orange juice is properly labeled in accordance with Food and Drug Administration regulations. “This lawsuit has nothing to do with misleading consumers and everything to do with lining class action lawyers’ pockets,” she said. “It is a meritless case against which we will vigorously defend ourselves.”
Other consumers recently have attacked companies’ “all-natural” products. A California woman filed a similar suit against orange-juice maker Tropicana Products in January, claiming it also enhanced its product with aromas and flavor packs. That same month, a man sued Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, saying the company’s allegedly natural Tostitos and SunChips products are made with oils derived from genetically engineered plants. And last year, a lawsuit claimed the fast-food chain Taco Bell’s meat contained less than 35 percent actual beef.
