Ocean Spray’s “No Sugar Added” Claim May Be Deceptive

Nothing beats a glass of freshly-squeezed juice in the morning.  Unfortunately, squeezing fresh juice everyday is impractical for most consumers, and the cost of actual fresh juice from the grocery store is not in many shoppers’ budgets.  That is where juice from concentrate comes in – it may not be the same as real, fresh juice, but it still tastes pretty good. Ocean Spray, one of the leading juice marketers in America, takes advantage of consumers’ desire for fresh juice by marketing its line of “100% Juice” products, which come with the prominent and welcome claim that there is “No Sugar Added.”

Unfortunately, this claim appears to be deceptive and prohibited by FDA rules.  In fact, Ocean Spray’s “100% Juice” products are made from juice concentrate and filtered water.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with using juice concentrates, as long as they are not sold using deceptive advertising.  However, under FDA rules, the phrase “No Sugar Added” cannot be used when concentrated fruit juice (which is essentially a form of sugar) is added to the product.  Moreover, the use of the phrase “No Sugar Added” implies that the drink is healthy or low calorie, but the “100% Juice” products actually have a higher sugar content than Ocean Spray’s “juice cocktail” line.

Our team is investigating a class action against Ocean Spray for its potentially misleading advertising related to “100% Juice” products.  If you or someone you know has purchased these products, please contact us to discuss your legal options.