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Lawsuit Claims LaCroix Sparkling Water Contains Insecticides, Not ‘All Natural’


— October 7, 2018

Are you a fan of LaCroix? Earlier this week, a lawsuit was filed against LaCroix’s parent company, National Beverage Corp, alleging the sparkling water is falsely advertised as 100% natural. According to the class action suit that was filed on behalf of Lenora Rice, “cockroach insecticide and other artificial ingredients are used in the drink.” The suit also argues that National Beverage knew of the “synthetic chemicals and was intentionally misleading consumers” with false advertising.


Are you a fan of LaCroix? Last week, a lawsuit was filed against LaCroix’s parent company, National Beverage Corp, alleging the sparkling water is falsely advertised as 100% natural. According to the class action suit that was filed on behalf of Lenora Rice, “cockroach insecticide and other artificial ingredients are used in the drink.” The suit also argues that National Beverage knew of the “synthetic chemicals and was intentionally misleading consumers” with false advertising.

So far the company has denied the allegations, claiming the suit was filed “without basis in fact or law regarding the natural composition of its LaCroix sparkling waters.” That hasn’t stopped the suit from pressing forward, though. In fact, the lawsuit wants the beverage company to stop “promoting LaCroix as natural and award damages to customers who bought the drink under the assumption it contained ‘all natural’ ingredients.

Specifically, the suit states:

“The plaintiff Rice, desiring a healthy, natural beverage, was led to purchase LaCroix sparkling water because of the claims made on its packaging, advertising and website to be “innocent,” “naturally essenced,” “all natural,” and “always 100% natural.” However, LaCroix, in fact, contains ingredients that have been identified by the Food and Drug Administration as synthetic. 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.”

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Denying the allegations, National Beverage Corp issued the following statement:

“Natural flavors in LaCroix are derived from the natural essential oils from the named fruit used in each of the flavors. There are no sugars or artificial ingredients contained in, nor added to, those extracted flavors. All essences contained in LaCroix are certified by our suppliers to be 100 percent natural.”

The company added:

“The lawsuit provides no support for its false statements about LaCroix’s ingredients. 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.”

If you recently purchased LaCroix and want to join the class action suit, call 773-831-8000.

Sources:

LaCroix lawsuit alleges drink not ‘all natural,’ contains cockroach insecticide

Cook County Lawsuit Alleges LaCroix Contains Ingredients Used In Cockroach Insecticide

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