Tropicana OJ not so 100% Natural after all?

[StylinRed]

just saw this on CBC (well on right now)

Tropicana latest target of ‘all natural’ claims

WASHINGTON Orange juice maker Tropicana markets its brand as fresh from the grove, but a series of lawsuits across the U.S. claim the company’s juice is so heavily processed it shouldn’t be called “natural.”

In approximately 20 lawsuits, lawyers claim the company adds chemically engineered “flavour packs” to its juice, making it taste the same year-round. On Thursday, lawyers came together in Washington to argue before a panel of judges about where the lawsuits should be heard as a group.

Tropicana declined to comment but said in a statement that it is committed to full compliance with labeling laws and to producing “great-tasting 100 per cent orange juice.”

The orange juice lawsuits are just the latest disputes over “all natural” claims. Over the past several years, a number of major national brands have been attacked for what consumers have called deceptive labeling. Tostitos, SunChips, Snapple and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream have all faced similar attacks.

The lawsuits have become common enough that the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents more than 300 food and beverage makers, had a panel that discussed the topic as part of a conference in February. Lawyers representing food and beverage companies have told their clients to be wary. Part of the problem, lawyers agree, is that consumers are looking for healthier products, and companies have responded by creating and branding their products as “all natural.”

The Food and Drug Administration, the agency that oversees packaged food labeling in the United States, has no definition of what counts as “natural.” As long as a food labeled “natural” doesn’t contain added colour, artificial flavour or synthetic substances, the agency doesn’t object.

That’s not enough guidance, some lawyers said.

“The whole natural issue is a mess,” said Michael Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based food safety and advocacy group that helped get the makers of 7UP and Capri Sun to stop making natural claims about their products.

Jacobson and others say the FDA’s lack of guidance has left lingering questions.

One question has been whether a product with high fructose corn syrup, which is made by processing corn but does not occur naturally, can be labeled natural. That was the issue in a 2007 lawsuit over Snapple drinks. Snapple has said it no longer uses high fructose corn syrup in products marked “all natural,” and a New York judge ultimately ruled in Snapple’s favour and closed the case last year, but other lawsuits are still questioning the use of the term.

Many “all natural” lawsuits are still in their infancy, said Kellie Lerner a lawyer who is involved in the orange juice litigation and closely following “all natural” cases. Lerner said like the orange juice lawsuit, other similar lawsuits have sought class action status, where one or more consumers sue on behalf of all people who bought the product.

The lawsuits could get dismissed or go to trial, but companies could agree to settle with consumers and offer product vouchers or rebates. The company that owns Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers ice cream, for example, settled “all natural” lawsuits for $7.5 million earlier this year, providing customers who bought flavours like “Chubby Hubby” and “Chunky Monkey” cash rebates of up to $20. The ice cream company also agreed to change its packaging, and that’s something lawyers involved in the orange juice lawsuit want too.

“I’d like them to modify their marketing so that consumers can make an informed judgment on their purchases,” said Stephen A. Weiss, a lawyer involved in one of the lawsuits against Tropicana.

The Associated Press

TheSpec - Tropicana latest target of


you can watch the CBC coverage of the story here

CBC.ca Player


im rather disappointed as I load up on tropicana oj @ costco all the time -_-

[unit]

this is no secret, just being exposed on mainstream media for the first time.
how else do you sell "natural" OJ that always tastes exactly the same, all year round?
they store it and it loses its flavor in the process, and they re-add artificial flavor later when they need it.

"natural" is the biggest marketing crap in the food industry these days.

[Razor Ramon HG]

Yeah, it should be common knowledge nowadays that almost all juices are processed the same way.

[xilley]

100% natural or not, i ll drink that shit anyday

[Akinari]

No surprise here. The only way to know the juice is 100% all-natural without any added chemicals/preservatives/miscellaneous shit is by making your own

[MK-EK]

hmmm dont care ... tropicana still the tastiest "supermarket fresh" OJ!

[Tapioca]

For my daily dose of Vitamin C, I would eat an orange any day over having a glass of orange juice.

[PJ]

Hmm.. good to know? I guess... whatever.

[urrh]

[PiuYi]

should still be healthier than SunnyD

[G]

OJ + sprite/7-up

[alpinestars]

Originally Posted by akinari-kun

No surprise here. The only way to know the juice is 100% all-natural without any added chemicals/preservatives/miscellaneous shit is by making your own

Even then, how natural can it be when we genetically modify oranges to be juicier, plumper, ripen faster, or add pesticides? Or you could buy certified organic which tastes like ass and costs a lot more

[hotshot1]

I'm glad this came out. I hope a lot of people stop drinking fruit juices in general due to high fructose content.

In fact, I remember reading somewhere that oranges and grapes were the 2 worst fruits and are equivalent to drinking pop.

[OTG-ZR2]

Originally Posted by hotshot1

I'm glad this came out. I hope a lot of people stop drinking fruit juices in general due to high fructose content.

In fact, I remember reading somewhere that oranges and grapes were the 2 worst fruits and are equivalent to drinking pop.

Fruit in its non-juiced state is still loaded with fructose. Are you saying we shouldn't eat fruit? SMH.

[StylinRed]

Originally Posted by hotshot1

I'm glad this came out. I hope a lot of people stop drinking fruit juices in general due to high fructose content.

In fact, I remember reading somewhere that oranges and grapes were the 2 worst fruits and are equivalent to drinking pop.

doctors say its fine though because the body works harder at breaking it down from fruits

[nickmak]

waaah it's not 100% natural. whatever its just high fructose corn syrup, at least it's not some tropicana factory employees cum

[skittle]

Been drinking it for years, never had a carton that wasn't sweet.

[punkwax]

Originally Posted by G

OJ + sprite/7-up

You forgot vodka.

[pastarocket]

-don't need no Tropicana when I have my own juicer to make 100% natural OJ.

[smarv]

“natural” means shit all. Arsenic which is used as a poison is 100% natural...

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by hotshot1

I'm glad this came out. I hope a lot of people stop drinking fruit juices in general due to high fructose content.

In fact, I remember reading somewhere that oranges and grapes were the 2 worst fruits and are equivalent to drinking pop.

There's nothing wrong with fruit as long as you have it in moderation and consume it by the afternoon so that your body has enough time to break it down.

[GGnoRE]

Anyone with decent nutrition knowledge should know that juices are not that healthy to begin with. One should always prefer to eat whole fruits for vitamins.

[tiger_handheld]

Originally Posted by GGnoRE

Anyone with decent nutrition knowledge should know that juices are not that healthy to begin with. One should always prefer to eat whole fruits for vitamins.

damn i always thought drinking OJ was same as eating an orange.

[Culverin]

I prefer Simply Orange, but it's a lot more.

[BlackZRoadster]

^i drink simply orange all the time.