Class Action Lawsuit Says Similac Go & Grow, Pure Bliss Toddler Drinks Are Not as Healthy as Advertised Due to Sugar Content

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The maker of Go & Grow and Pure Bliss Toddler Drinks by Similac faces a proposed class action lawsuit that claims the items are falsely advertised as healthy and nutritionally appropriate for children between 12 and 36 months.

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According to the 39-page case, leading health authorities recommend that children in this age range should have zero added sugar in their diets since excess sugar consumption early on can lead to poor dietary habits and significant health risks, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Contrary to these nutritional recommendations, the Similac toddler drinks contain four grams of added sugar per serving, the lawsuit says.

Per the complaint, defendant Abbott Laboratories’ allegedly deceptive labeling of the toddler drinks has caused caregivers to make “ill-advised nutritional purchasing decisions.”

The suit contends that the milk-based powders are marketed as “stage 3” transition formulas to imply that the toddler drinks are the next nutritionally recommended product for caregivers to purchase after “stage 1,” infant formula, and “stage 2,” supplemental formula. The labeling for the Similac toddler drinks is also riddled with health claims, including representations that the products are free from “added corn syrup solids,” “artificial growth hormones,” “antibiotics” or “GMOs,” the lawsuit notes.

“The claims on the labels of [Abbott’s] ‘Toddler Drinks’ are false and misleading because they focus on the products’ purported health benefits while omitting information regarding the health harms of their added sugar content,” the filing alleges.

The plaintiffs, three parents who have paid over $30 per can of the toddler drinks, say they would not have spent as much for the products—or bought them at all—had they known Similac Go & Grow and Pure Bliss toddler drinks were not beneficial or necessary to the health of their children.

“As Abbott is well aware, consumers seek out and prefer healthful foods and beverages, especially for their children, and are willing to pay more for, or purchase more often, products marketed and labeled as healthy,” the complaint claims.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who, at any time within the applicable statute of limitations period, purchased Go & Grow Toddler Drink by Similac or Pure Bliss Toddler Drink by Similac for personal or household use, and not for resale or distribution.

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