Simply Orange Juice Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged PFAS Chemicals in “All-Natural” Juice

Recently, everyone seems to be talking about the case against Simply Orange Juice. It all started with claims that PFAS chemicals, which are found in Simply Tropical juice made by The Simply Orange Juice Company (which is owned by Coca-Cola), are dangerous. As per the claims, you see, the company lied to customers when it said the juice was “all-natural.” And this is precisely what led to this Simply Orange Juice Lawsuit. Now, let’s get to the details of this case, shall we?

A Little Bit Of The Background Stuff

The Simply Orange Juice Company has been around since 2001 and is known for its fruit drinks. And yes, it’s a Coca-Cola company, which is in charge of many well-known drink names. Simply Orange is advertised as a premium juice brand for people who care about their health and love natural ingredients. It has grown over the years to become a giant in the U.S. chilled juice business, bringing in tons of money every year, you know?

What This Simply Orange Juice Lawsuit Is All About?

The Simply Orange Juice Company was sued in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in January 2023. Joseph Lurenz is the main accuser, and he is speaking for all customers who bought Simply Tropical juice. As per the claims and allegations made in this case, this very company’s juice has a lot of PFAS in it, even though it says on the label that it is “all-natural.” It says that the company lied to customers by not putting these man-made chemicals on the package. All in all, the amount of PFAS in the juice was much higher than what the EPA thinks is safe for drinking water.

What Businesses Did

Both Coca-Cola and Simply Orange Juice Company stand behind their goods. Up until now, they haven’t said anything official about the PFAS in their juices, but they have asked the court to throw out the case. They say that the complainant hasn’t shown enough proof that the juice has PFAS in it. They also say that “all-natural” only refers to the chemicals and the way the product is made, not that it is necessarily healthy. And if you remember, this case is similar to one that Coca-Cola had to deal with before over flavor packets in their drinks, which they also fought in the courtrooms, you know?

Legal and Regulatory Landscape

All in all, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) makes rules to stop businesses from using false ads to trick customers. These rules are for all kinds of media, even signs on products. That’s the reason why a business that is caught lying in its ads could be hit with heavy fines and punishments. Laws in New York, where the case was filed, say that PFAS can’t be used in food packaging. To keep things clean, businesses must use things like paper or boxes. You could be fined up to $2,500 per product and more every day that Coca-Cola sells contaminated goods if they are found guilty. Let’s see how this lawsuit unfolds, until then, stay tuned