Minute Maid Apple Juice Contains Undisclosed Preservative, Class Action Claims

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A proposed class action alleges Minute Maid apple juice is mislabeled in that the beverage contains an undisclosed chemical preservative.

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The 14-page case claims Minute Maid maker the Coca-Cola Company attempts to conceal the presence and function of the preservative ascorbic acid in the apple juice by misleadingly referring to it as “Vitamin C” on the product’s front label and ingredient list, rather than by its more common name. 

The complaint explains that ascorbic acid, a chemically modified form of vitamin C, is one of the most commonly used preservatives. The filing states that the chemical additive limits the growth of mold and bacteria by lowering or stabilizing the pH level of a product. Ascorbic acid also helps prevent premature oxidation, which increases the shelf-life of a product and helps to maintain its original taste, color and appearance, the lawsuit relays.

Although Minute Maid apple juice includes ascorbic acid, reasonable consumers don’t know that the beverage contains a preservative because its front label mentions only that it’s made “With Vitamin C,” the complaint relays. 

According to federal labeling regulations, a product made with chemical preservatives must bear a label description disclosing “both the common or usual name of the ingredient(s)” and “a separate description of its function,” such as “‘preservative’, ‘to retard spoilage’, ’a mold inhibitor’, ‘to help protect flavor’ or ‘to promote color retention.’” Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned companies that a product is misbranded and misleading to consumers if it contains chemical preservatives like ascorbic acid, but its labeling fails to comply with these requirements, the suit relays.

Additionally, the case argues, the defendant mentions “Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)” on the product’s ingredient list as a “subtle” but ultimately “insufficient” attempt to comply with federal labeling requirements, given that parenthetical descriptions are permitted only for leavening agents, dough conditioners and yeast nutrients.

The suit contends that the Coca-Cola Company intentionally misrepresents Minute Maid apple juice to appeal to the overwhelming number of consumers willing to pay more for foods free from synthetic preservatives. The filing contends that consumers would have paid less for the apple juice, or would not have bought it in the first place, had they known the product was falsely labeled.

The lawsuit looks to cover anyone in Illinois, Utah, South Dakota, Kansas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alaska, Wyoming or South Carolina who purchased Minute Maid apple juice during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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