CSPI Puts the Squeeze on Sweet Drink

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Washington, D.C., is representing a Florida woman in a class action complaint against Kraft Foods, Inc., Northfield, IL, for its engagement in the unfair and deceptive practice of describing Capri Sun products as natural when they contain the artificial ingredient high-fructose corn syrup. The plaintiff, Linda Rex, says she purchased the beverage because it was labeled all natural. At home, she took a closer look at the products ingredients, found it contained high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and threw the product away because, she says, it was nearly identical to soda.

The suit alleges that the all natural claims are in direct violation of Floridas Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and asks the court to order Kraft to drop the false statements. The CSPI press release states that, while the glucose and fructose in HFCS are identical to naturally occurring glucose and fructose, the fact that chemical bonds are broken and rearranged in their production disqualifies them from being called natural.

In response to the CSPI press release announcing the complaint, Marc Firestone, executive vice president, corporate and legal affairs, Kraft Foods, issued a statement that reads, in part: Kraft Foods has been working for about a year to reformulate its regular Capri Sun beverages and redesign the products packaging. The new packaging, which is scheduled to go into production in about two weeks, will say that Capri Sun contains No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. This new product description resonated well with consumers. With this action, the phrase All Natural is being removed from the package. Firestone also states that the product has been reformulated to include vitamins C and E, and will continue to be made with HFCS.

Contrary to CSPIs statements, Krafts products are clearly and accurately labeled with ingredients, nutrition information and serving sizes, Firestone states. Kraft carefully follows all labeling regulations and takes other steps to provide useful information about our products to consumers.