Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc, the maker of 7UP, was sued on Thursday for
allegedly misleading consumers over the supposed health benefits of an
antioxidant it uses in some varieties of the soft drink.
The Center for Science in the
Public Interest, an advocacy group for food safety and nutrition, said the
company's advertising and packaging suggest that the drinks contain
antioxidants from blackberries, cherries, cranberries, pomegranates and
raspberries, rather than added Vitamin E.
Chris Barnes, a Dr Pepper Snapple
spokesman, in an emailed statement called the lawsuit "another attempt by
the food police at CSPI to mislead consumers about soft drinks."
Antioxidants help protect cells
from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules associated
with cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
In December 2008, the US Food and
Drug Administration objected to labeling in which Coca-Cola Co described its
now-discontinued Diet Coke Plus drink as "Diet Coke with Vitamins &
Minerals."
The FDA told the world's largest
soft-drink maker it "does not consider it appropriate to fortify snack
foods such as carbonated beverages."
Barnes said Dr Pepper Snapple's
label for 7UP Cherry meets FDA regulations, and says the drink does not contain
juice. He also said a new formulation of that product, to be available in
February, will not contain antioxidants.
Thursday's lawsuit was filed with
the US District Court in Los Angeles. It seeks class-action status on behalf of
purchasers nationwide of the products, a variety of financial damages, and a
halt to the alleged misleading advertising.
The named plaintiff is David
Green, a resident of Sherman Oaks, California, who said he would not have
bought the soft drinks had he known their antioxidants did not come from fruit.
Dr Pepper Snapple launched 7UP
Cherry Antioxidant in 2009.
It also sells a diet version of
that product, as well as 7UP Mixed Berry Antioxidant and Diet 7UP Mixed Berry
Antioxidant, according to its website.
Reuters
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