ZzzQuil Lawsuit Alleges PURE Zzzs Melatonin Sleep Aid Falsely Advertised as ‘Natural’

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges ZzzQuil PURE Zzzs sleep supplements are falsely advertised as able to aid in falling asleep “naturally” given that the product’s primary ingredient, melatonin, is a “highly synthesized chemical.”

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The 36-page lawsuit against manufacturer Procter & Gamble claims that the company’s advertisement of the ZzzQuil sleep supplement with “natural” branding is “false, deceptive, and misleading,” as the product, “made in a lab” with “toxic solvents and chemical catalysts,” cannot “naturally” help a consumer sleep.

The filing more specifically alleges that P&G’s decision to print the “HELPS YOU FALL ASLEEP NATURALLY” tagline on product labels in green, “a color known to refer to nature,” and include imagery of chamomile and lavender flowers, furthers the impression that the supplement contains no “ingredients that are synthetic, artificial, and subject to significant chemical modification and processing.”

The overall effect of the ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs packaging and advertising, the complaint contends, is that “reasonable consumers are deceived into thinking the primary ingredient of the products (melatonin) is not synthetically made.” Per the case, ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs supplements are “greenwashed” with “natural” claims in an effort by P&G to increase sales from consumers in search of natural products.

The ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs sleep aides mentioned in the class action lawsuit include:

• Melatonin + Chamomile & Lavender Tablets (60 count);
• Melatonin + Chamomile & Lavender Gummies (24, 30, 48, 72 and 110 count);
• Enhanced Formula Melatonin (100 count);
• Sleep + Muscle Relaxation Gummies (26 and 42 count);
• Sleep + Next Day Energy Tablets (21 count, 28 count and two 28);
• Back to Sleep Tablets; and
• Kidz Melatonin + Chamomile & Lavender Gummies.

According to the case, the products listed above contain a litany of synthetic chemicals including, but not limited to, melatonin, calcium carbonate and Red 40, as primary ingredients.

The plaintiff, a California resident, claims that reasonable consumers expect that products advertised and branded as “natural” would not contain artificial, synthetic or chemically modified components, much less that any such ingredients would be the primary ingredient in the product.

Additionally, the plaintiff claims that the use of the “natural” label on these products violates both FDA and USDA definitions of the word for advertising purposes.

The plaintiff claims that she and other proposed class members would not have bought ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs melatonin products had they been made aware the items “were not naturally created, but instead, contained synthetic ingredients, including but not limited to the primary ingredient, melatonin.”

This ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs lawsuit seeks to represent anyone who purchased one of the melatonin sleep aid products listed on this page for personal use in California within the last three years.

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