A recent lawsuit has shaken up fans of the popular sparkling water LaCroix. A class action lawsuit was filed against the brand, claiming its products include artificial and synthetic ingredients such as one found in cockroach insecticide.
According to CBS, the lawsuit filed by the Beaumont Costales law firm on behalf of customer Lenora Rice is meant to stop La Croix from falsely promoting its products to consumers as all-natural. The suit reported that testing found LaCroix sparkling water to contains ingredients that have been identified by the Food and Drug Administration as synthetic. Allegedly, LaCroix is not the pure, all-natural product it markets itself as to buyers. The lawsuit accuses LaCroix, and its parent brand National Beverage Corp, of intentionally misleading customers into believing LaCroix is all-natural to promote their sales.
“These chemicals include limonene, which can cause kidney toxicity and tumors; linalool propionate, which is used to treat cancer; and linalool, which is used in cockroach insecticide,” the suit claims.
National Beverage Corp has denied all allegations in a statement directly addressing its ingredients and questions about their products’ all-natural status. According to them, their essences are certified and 100% natural.
“The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers ‘natural’ on a food label to be truthful and non-misleading when ‘nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added.’ ” All LaCroix product labels include an ingredient statement indicating each product contains carbonated water and natural flavors. National Beverage stands by that ingredient statement and the fact that all the flavor essences in LaCroix are natural.”
What does this mean for LaCroix fans? Should they be worried about the potential dangers that drinking this product can have as poised by the lawsuit?
The brand took to Twitter to break down the overwhelming and potentially misleading accusations against their product’s safety and integrity. In a post addressing loyal LaCroix customers, they provided descriptions of the naturally occurring substances that the lawsuit deemed as synthetic.
The company shared information provided by multiple reputable sources such as The National Institutes of Health, The World Health Organization and Scott Forsberg, CEO of the national research and development organization Forsberg Group LLC.
LaCroix stated that their ingredients in question, linalool propionate (the substance linked to cockroach insecticide), ethyl butanoate, limonene and linalool, are naturally occurring substances found in fruit, citrus oils and citrus peels.
“More importantly,” the post shared, “each of these is consumed often in the daily diet in the form of fresh fruits and spices as well as in dietary supplements and prepared food and beverages.”
LaCroix has not shied away from advocating for their product. The brand has shared articles written by the LA Times, VICE, and other sources on their social media to further explain their end of the suit. LaCroix customers have shown support for the brand in comments on Twitter and in articles such as “All the things you’d have to put in LaCroix to get me to stop drinking it.”
In a statement made by National Beverage, the lawsuit was “false, defamatory, and intended to intentionally damage National Beverage and its shareholders.” The company will be seeking retribution.