SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - Coca-Cola is accused of misleading fans of Fanta by claiming the drinks contain 100% natural flavors.
A March 3 class action lawsuit filed by plaintiff Kyla Tapia in California federal court also complains about labels containing the word "berry" and drawings of blueberries and raspberries. All of these are ploys to think Fanta is natural, when it actually contains a synthetic malic acid, Tapia's lawyers say.
"The product's berry flavor containing DL-Malic Acid resembles the natural characterizing flavors represented to be used," the lawsuit says.
"Plaintiff purchased the product because the packaging claimed it contains '100% Natural Flavors.' Plaintiff would not have been able to understand that the product did not contain '100% Natural Flavors' without an advanced understanding of organic chemistry and without performing chemical analysis on the product."
Tapia says she wouldn't have paid for or paid as much as she did had she known the truth. She is represented by Shub Law Firm of New Jersey.