Ocean Spray Lawsuit Claims High Added Sugar Renders Craisins Dried Cranberries, Cranberry Bites Falsely Advertised

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges Ocean Spray’s Craisins Dried Cranberries and Cranberry Bites are falsely labeled in that the purportedly “wholesome snack[s]” contain high amounts of added sugar. 

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The 41-page Ocean Spray lawsuit says that although the Craisins Dried Cranberries and Cranberry Bites are touted as meeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate dietary recommendations and labeled with affirmative health messaging, the products’ high added sugar content can increase the risk of certain serious health issues, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic disease and liver disease. 

The filing contends that Ocean Spray omits from the relevant product labels this key, “unfavorable” health information and highlights only the USDA MyPlate recommendations, albeit out of context. The case points out that MyPlate recommendations state that consumers should avoid added sugars, and emphasize fruits prepared with no or little added sugars. 

“Thus, while representing that the Craisins are healthy, Ocean Spray intentionally omits material information regarding the countervailing detrimental effects of the added sugar in Craisins,” the false advertising case summarizes. 

According to the lawsuit, the Ocean Spray Craisins contain more than 20 grams of added sugar, and the Cranberry Bites contain 16 to 18 grams of added sugar per serving, contributing to about half of their calories. Per the suit, even the “50% Less Sugar” variety of Craisins gets more than 30 percent of its calories from added sugar, six times the amount the FDA considers “healthy” in food. 

“As a result, a single serving of most Craisins flavors contains 26g added sugar—more than 200% of the daily limit for young children, approximately 100% of the daily limit for older children and adult women, and approximately 70% of the daily limit for adult men,” the complaint relays. “Similarly, a single serving of Bites, depending on the flavor (16g or 18g added sugar), contains more than 100% of the daily limit for young children, approximately 70% of the daily limit for older children and adult women, and approximately 45% of the daily limit for adult men.” 

The suit argues that Ocean Spray’s label claims are likely to mislead reasonable consumers given that the USDA MyPlate information is taken out of context to suggest the Craisins and Cranberry Bites are healthy. 

“Ocean Spray is under a duty to disclose this information to consumers because it is revealing some information about the Products—enough to suggest they are healthy—without revealing material information regarding the harmful effects of added sugar described herein,” the complaint reads. 

The lawsuit looks to cover all persons in the United States who, within the last four years, bought for personal or household use Ocean Spray Craisins Dried Cranberries and/or Cranberry Bites. 

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