Coca-Cola Lawsuit Filed Over Minute Maid Fruit Punch ‘No Preservatives Added’ Claim

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The Coca-Cola Company faces a proposed class action lawsuit that claims Minute Maid fruit punch is falsely advertised as preservative-free.

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According to the 17-page Coca-Cola lawsuit, the label claim that the beverages have “No Preservatives Added” is deceptive given that the drinks, in fact, contain citric acid—a well-known preservative frequently used in food products.

The false advertising suit contends that Minute Maid fruit punch is misrepresented in an effort to appeal to health-conscious consumers seeking products that are preservative-free and, therefore, perceived to be more nutritious than items loaded with chemical additives.

Citric acid, which is recognized as a preservative by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, helps food products retain freshness and flavor by inhibiting microbial growth and oxidation, the case relays. The complaint notes that even if citric acid was added to the beverages at issue to impart flavor, the ingredient nonetheless functions as a preservative in the drinks.

Although there is a naturally occurring form of citric acid, the type used in the beverages at issue is commercially manufactured through significant chemical processing, the case shares.

The complaint alleges that consumers like the plaintiffs, two New York residents, would not have paid as much for the Minute Maid fruit punch, or purchased the drink at all, had they known the preservative-free representation was false.

The Coca-Cola lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who bought Minute Maid fruit punch at any time during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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