Lawsuit Says Whole Foods' St. John's Wort Lacks Main Ingredient
Last Updated on June 26, 2017
A proposed class action filed in Illinois district court claims Whole Foods Market, Inc. formulated, manufactured, advertised, and sold St. John’s Wort that did not contain “consistent amounts” of the dietary supplement’s sole active ingredient, hypericin, as listed by the product’s labeling. The 19-page complaint alleges Texas-headquartered Whole Foods knew the label on its St. John’s Wort product was deceptive to consumers, yet continued to make and sell the misbranded dietary herb as both a means of keeping manufacturing costs low and to benefit from a booming nutritional supplement market.
“When [the plaintiff] and class members were shopping for a St. John’s Wort product in the standardized form, they expected to receive the ‘guaranteed’ amount listed on the label based upon the general understanding of ‘standardized,” the lawsuit says. “Unfortunately, this is not what has happened.”
Hypericin is believed to be effective in helping treat depression-related anxiety, insomnia, and other conditions (though information does exist arguing that hyperforin, not hypericin, is the primary mover in battling depression and mood-based disorders). The Illinois woman behind the suit claims when she and proposed class members were shopping for St. John’s Wort, they expected the supplement to contain a “guaranteed” amount of the standardized hypericin extract because of the product’s label. Instead, the case asserts, the St. John’s Wort product allegedly contains even less hypericin—under 30 percent of what its label claims—than the amount described by a ConsumerLab.com watchdog report that pegged the supplement as containing less than 60 percent of what its label claims.
Coupled with allegations that the product simply does not contain enough of its advertised primary ingredient are claims that the dietary supplement is falsely and deceptively promoted by the defendants as an anti-depressant herb that can support “a healthy, positive mood.”
“Based on these test results, [Whole Foods Market’s] claims that its St. John’s Wort product contains ‘0.3% Hypericin, 0.9 mg’ and ‘Supports a Health, Positive Mood’ are false, deceptive and misleading,” the complaint says.
The lawsuit includes proposed classes and one Illinois-specific subclass:
- The National Class includes anyone in the United States who purchased Whole Foods’ St. John’s Wort product
- Consumer Fraud Multi-State Class made up of individuals in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Washington who purchased the product
- Illinois Subclass comprised of residents of the state who purchased the product
Video Game Addiction Lawsuits
If your child suffers from video game addiction — including Fortnite addiction or Roblox addiction — you may be able to take legal action. Gamers 18 to 22 may also qualify.
Learn more:Video Game Addiction Lawsuit
Depo-Provera Lawsuits
Anyone who received Depo-Provera or Depo-Provera SubQ injections and has been diagnosed with meningioma, a type of brain tumor, may be able to take legal action.
Read more: Depo-Provera Lawsuit
How Do I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
Did you know there's usually nothing you need to do to join, sign up for, or add your name to new class action lawsuits when they're initially filed?
Read more here: How Do I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
Stay Current
Sign Up For
Our Newsletter
New cases and investigations, settlement deadlines, and news straight to your inbox.
Before commenting, please review our comment policy.