Deceptive advertising isn’t a new thing; companies, brands, and businesses have been doing this for god knows how long. And it shouldn’t even be a surprise to you at this point when some big companies get involved in such a case. And pretty much the same case is happening with the Ginger Ale Class Action Lawsuit, where just one legal case against them turned into this class action, and now everyone’s talking about it.
Who Filed The Lawsuit?
Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., a big company that is well known for its soft drinks and beverages, has been the subject of a lawsuit, and we know you’re about to ask why. Well, first of all, you should know that they are the manufacturers of the popular brands of ginger ale like Canada Dry and Schweppes, which are sold in huge quantities pretty much every year. That’s what they’re good at!
And this class action that we’re talking about became this big because of a complaint/case brought up by a consumer by the name Lillian Elliot. As in the details of this case already, she very clearly says that she was one of the regular buyers of these ginger ales as the labels led her to think that they were naturally flavored. And it turns out, she wasn’t even alone; a lot of people out there think the same way, even to this day. Even after that, she found out that the drinks included synthetic ingredients. Just after figuring this out, sure enough, she felt kinda deceived and that’s why she decided to take some legal action on behalf of herself and a lot of people out there who think the same way.
What Is The Main Issue?
Of course, so far you must have gotten the gist already that the main issue is with the product labels. The packaging of the cans or bottles includes statements like “Naturally Flavored” or “Natural Ginger Flavor.” The complaint of Lillian clearly says that these aren’t words or marketing terms they should be using, anyone can get confused by it and it is the fault on brand’s end.
And then, there were some independent analyses done, and it revealed that pretty much yes, there was the presence of DL-malic acid in the beverages. As it is not that hard to guess, this type of ingredient isn’t natural at all. Even though malic acid can be found in nature, for example, in fruits and ginger, the one used here is not derived from natural sources.
All of this shouldn’t have become a big issue if it weren’t for the food labeling laws, which pretty much are a thing, and companies must follow them. But looking at the facts and arguments, this wasn’t the case with this class action lawsuit so far.
Which Products Are Included?
The lawsuit covers several ginger ale products, including:
- Schweppes Diet Ginger Ale
- Schweppes Diet Raspberry Ginger Ale
- Schweppes Dry Grape Ginger Ale
- Schweppes Black Cherry Ginger Ale
- Canada Dry Diet Ginger Ale
- Canada Dry Zero Sugar Ginger Ale (including Lemonade and Cranberry flavors)
If you purchased any of these products after November 1, 2018, you may be included in the case.
The Legal Side, In Simple Terms
According to the complaint, the lawsuit accuses Keurig Dr Pepper of consumer-law violations by using deceptive packaging. Quickly, the case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in the year 2024.
And it is not just the one law that the company has violated (though, previously, we have talked about just one), there are more, like the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law of California, and specific consumer protection provisions of Massachusetts. To put it simply, the debate revolves around truthfulness, like, companies should accurately disclose the content of their products. Plain and simple!
