Target Fruit Cocktail in ‘100% Juice’ Contains Undisclosed Added Ingredients, Class Action Alleges

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A proposed class action lawsuit claims Target has misled consumers by advertising its Market Pantry-brand fruit cocktail as served in “100% Juice.”

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The 20-page lawsuit says that despite the product’s label, which claims that the mixed fruits are served “In 100% Fruit Juice,” the ingredient list on the back of the can shows that the item contains “natural flavor” and the chemical additive ascorbic acid. The suit further alleges that the product also contains added water, given that the peach and pear juices listed among the ingredients are from concentrate.

“These lower quality and laboratory-created ingredients are what consumers buying ‘100% juice’ and ‘100% fruit juice’ are trying to avoid,” the case contends.

Although “natural flavor” is defined as “the essential oils or extractives obtained from fruit juice,” the additive, crucially, is not fruit juice, the complaint explains. Likewise, ascorbic acid—an artificial version of vitamin C—is made from glucose through chemical processing, the filing adds.

According to the lawsuit, the misrepresentations of the fruit cocktail violate federal and state law, which stipulate that a food item is misbranded if its label includes a false or misleading statement.

The suit claims that the fruit cocktail’s misleading labeling has enabled Target to capitalize on the desire of health-conscious shoppers for natural products made with “real” ingredients.

The plaintiff, a Florida resident, says she tries to avoid chemical additives in food products because she believes they are unhealthy and potentially harmful. The woman would not have paid as much for the fruit cocktail, or bought it at all, had she known it contained added water and the additives natural flavor and ascorbic acid, the case charges.

The lawsuit looks to represent any Florida residents who purchased Market Pantry fruit cocktail within the state during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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