Class Action Alleges Ener-C Drink Mixes Are Falsely Advertised as All-Natural

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Ener-C Sugar-Free Multivitamin Drink Mixes made by Martin & Pleasance North America are falsely advertised as “all-natural” as they contain at least one synthetic ingredient.

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The 14-page false advertising lawsuit contends that the defendant wrongfully capitalizes on consumer demand for natural, minimally processed foods by promoting the powdered drink mixes as natural when they contain the artificial ingredient DL-malic acid, a compound manufactured from benzene or butane through a series of chemical reactions involving “highly toxic” chemical precursors and byproducts.

Despite the presence of DL-malic acid, Martin & Pleasance has nevertheless employed promotions and labels that “state explicitly that the Products are ‘All Natural,’ with these statements reinforced by depictions of natural fruits that provide the characterizing flavor,” the complaint says.

As a result of the products’ labeling, consumers have no reason to believe that the Ener-C drink mixes are not all-natural and would not have reasonably understood based on the packaging that they contained an artificial ingredient, the suit argues.

According to the complaint, there is a naturally occurring form of malic acid derived from apples. However, because natural malic acid is expensive to use in mass quantities, the majority of food products use the synthetic form of the ingredient, called DL-malic acid, the filing says.

Related Reading: Emergen-C Lawsuit Says Supplements Are Falsely Advertised With ‘Natural Fruit Flavors’ Claim

Indeed, independent testing commissioned by lawyers for the plaintiff, a Virginia resident, revealed the presence of the malic acid D-isomer in Martin & Pleasance’s mixes, establishing its synthetic composition, the case shares.

“[B]ecause of its deceptive and false labeling statements, Defendant was enabled to charge a premium for the Products relative to key competitors’ products, or relative to the average price charged in the marketplace,” the lawsuit contends.

The Ener-C Drink Mix class action lawsuit seeks to represent all consumers nationwide who purchased any variety of Ener-C Sugar-Free Multivitamin Drink Mixes within the four years before the filing of the complaint on March 24, 2026.

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