CSPI sues Coke over fraudulent claims for vitamin water

January 26, 1:20 PMNutrition ExaminerAnnie Kay

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It's soda with vitamins.  Photo

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer watchdog group, recently announced that it was acting as co-counsel in a class action lawsuit against the Coca-Cola Company (Coke). The suit claims that Coke's marketing of its VitaminWater line includes deceptive and unsubstantiated health claims.

Offered as a healthier alternative to soda, Coke has marketed VitaminWater with a slew of dramatic claims, including that its drinks variously reduce the risk of chronic disease, reduce the risk of eye disease, promote healthy joints and support optimal immune function.

In fact, according to CSPI nutritionists, the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of VitaminWater do more to promote obesity, diabetes, and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles. - CSPI press release

The food industry/health market these days does feel like the wild west, where it's every marketing strategy, every on-the-line health claim for itself. I don't blame food producers like Coke necessarily. It's more the regulators - the USDA and FDA, who set the stage for this sort of marketing by not clearly defining claims that can and can't be made, and by letting some instances slide while others don't.

That said, I admit that whenever I hear that CSPI has launched another attack on those who do step over the line, health claim wise (in CSPI's opinion) I smile and say, you go, CSPI. I'm glad there's someone on consumers' side in a big way.

This isn't the first problem Coke has had with it's creative soda-like beverages. Diet Coke Plus (with vitamins!) was recently in trouble with the FDA for similar reasons. Coke says the suit is ridiculous.