Class Action Challenges ‘100% Juice’ Claims for Happy Belly Fruit Bowls, Canned Fruit

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A proposed class action against Amazon.com Services alleges that some of its Happy Belly fruit bowls and canned fruit are falsely advertised as containing 100 percent fruit juice, given that the products contain two synthetic additives.

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The 22-page case says the Happy Belly fruit products—which include Yellow Cling Diced Peaches, Diced Pears, Cherry Mixed Fruit, Mandarin Orange and Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches—are labeled with claims stating that their contents are packaged in “100% Juice.” The lawsuit alleges that contrary to these representations, the products are made with ascorbic acid and/or citric acid, non-juice ingredients that function as preservatives.

According to the complaint, ascorbic acid (also known as vitamin C) and citric acid are popular food additives that can be extracted from natural sources but are nearly always derived through “extensive chemical processing” when commercially produced. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies both ingredients as preservatives that can be used to keep foods fresh by preventing microbial growth, the filing adds.

Moreover, FDA regulations state that food products made with non-juice ingredients like ascorbic acid or citric acid must indicate that the item is “100% juice with added ingredient(s),” the suit says. Per the case, Amazon’s failure to include FDA-compliant labels on the Happy Belly fruit bowls or canned fruit has deceptively misled consumers into believing they were buying products free of artificial ingredients.

The plaintiff, a New York resident who purchased Happy Belly Yellow Cling Diced Peaches from Amazon’s website, was willing to pay a premium to purchase what she thought was a healthy product with no artificial ingredients, the lawsuit says. However, the woman claims she would not have bought the fruit bowls had she known they were falsely advertised as containing 100 percent fruit juice.

As the case tells it, Amazon’s alleged misrepresentations are an attempt to capitalize on a recent and significant increase in health-oriented consumers seeking all-natural juice products.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who purchased the above-mentioned Happy Belly products primarily for personal, family or household purposes and not for resale.

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