A soda product is being removed from the shelves even as a lawsuit accuses the item of being improperly marketed.
The item in question is 7-Up with Antioxidants in either Pomegranate, Cherry, or Mixed Berry flavors. The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, the company behind the soda, says that they will come out with a soda that uses a new formula beginning in February. Although the company contends that the label specifically states that juice is not used as an ingredient in the product, that hasn’t stopped a lawsuit from being filed yesterday in a California district court.
The individual who filed the suit stipulates that he would not have purchased the item if he would have known that the fruit depicted on the can was not responsible for the antioxidants in the soda. In fact, Vitamin E was added directly to the soda in place of any fruit juice. Thus, the company has been accused of making misleading claims in regard to their products.
The company says that removing the item from sale is being done so that there can be brand consistency among their products. Coca Cola experienced a similar situation in 2010 when their Diet Coke with Vitamins and Minerals came under the scrutiny of the FDA. In that situation, the product was pulled for what Coke called poor sales.
This is one story to pay attention to moving forward. Whether the accusations prove true or not, it’s important to understand the importance of proper labeling on any item so as to preserve safety among consumers.