Class Action: ‘Natural’ Honeydew, Pet Pleasant Products Contain Synthetic Ingredients

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A proposed class action challenges the “natural” labeling of a slew of Honeydew Products’ personal and pet care items that allegedly contain non-natural, synthetic ingredients.

According to the case, the defendant appeals to health-conscious consumers by labeling its Honeydew personal care and Pet Pleasant products as “Natural” or “100% Natural” without disclosing that the items contain various chemicals that no reasonable consumer would consider to be “natural.”

The suit claims consumers were misled into paying a premium price for products that were worth less than what they cost.

“Had Defendant not made the false, misleading, and deceptive representations and omissions, Plaintiff and the Class members would not have been willing to pay the same amount for the Products they purchased,” the complaint states.

The lawsuit says consumers are willing to pay a premium for products represented as “natural” over those made with synthetic ingredients due to the belief that they are “safer and healthier” than alternative items.

The suit claims the defendant has misrepresented the following products as “Natural” or “100% Natural”:

• Honeydew Natural Scar Cream;
• Honeydew Natural Aloe Shampoo for Men & Women;
• Honeydew Natural Dandruff Shampoo for Kids;
• Honeydew Natural Coconut Cream Skin Softening Body Butter;
• Honeydew EcoHot Natural Hot Cream;
• Pet Pleasant Lavender Oatmeal Pet Shampoo;
• Pet Pleasant Nourishing Lavender Pet Spray;
• Honeydew Tea Tree Rosemary Shampoo;
• Honeydew Lemon Sage Oily Hair Shampoo with Tea Tree & Rosemary Infusions;
• Honeydew Very Vanilla Edible Massage Oil;
• Pet Pleasant Lavender Vanilla Oatmeal Pet Shampoo; and
• Honeydew Edible Massage Oil.

According to the case, the “natural” representations on the products’ labels are “false, deceptive, and misleading” because the items contain non-natural, synthetic ingredients such as xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, tocopherol, stearic acid, disodium EDTA, glyceryl oleate, cocamidopropyl betaine, lauryl glucoside, coco glucoside, panthenol, cetearyl alcohol, menthol, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol and glycerin.

A decision tree issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that a substance can only be considered natural, as opposed to synthetic, if it comes from a natural source and hasn’t undergone a chemical change that altered its chemical makeup or structure, unless the chemical change occurred as a result of a biological process, such as composting, fermentation, enzymatic digestion, heating or burning, the suit specifies.

The lawsuit claims that because Honeydew failed to disclose to consumers that the aforementioned ingredients are synthetic, its marketing and advertising of the affected products was false and deceptive. Though the ingredients are listed on the products’ back labels, a reasonable consumer would be unable to tell, and would not be expected to know, that the chemicals are synthetic, the case says.

Per the suit, Honeydew’s allegedly deceptive advertising is a violation of the New York General Business Law and federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

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