CSPI's VitaminWater lawsuit continues
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
A federal judge denies Coca-Cola's motion to dismiss the Center for Science in the Public Interest's lawsuit alleging the firm makes deceptive and unsubstantiated claims for the VitaminWater line. In the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Judge John Gleeson also found the firm's use of the word "healthy" violates FDA regulations on vitamin-fortified foods. According to CSPI, the judge found the claim "May reduce the risk of age-related eye disease" for the line's "focus" flavor may not comply with FDA regulations. The consumer advocacy group, which filed suit against Coca-Cola in January 2009, says the judge rejected the Atlanta-based global food and beverage firm's argument that disclosing sugar content on Nutrition Facts labels eliminates a possibility consumers may be "misled into thinking the product has only water and vitamins, and little or no sugar" (1"The Tan Sheet" Jan. 19, 2009, In Brief)