Naked Juice Refuses To Change Label In Non-Response To Lawsuit About Misleading Health Claims

Naked Juice is in legal trouble yet again. The fruit and vegetable smoothie company is being sued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest for not being as healthy as it claims. In 2014, Naked had to settle a similar lawsuit to remove any claims of "all-natural" ingredients from its products.

The current lawsuit claims that taglines like "no sugar added" mislead customers into thinking the product is healthier than it really is. (For example, a 15.2-ounce bottle of Pomegranate Blueberry Naked Juice contains 61 grams of sugar — that's 20 more grams of sugar than in a 12-ounce can of Pepsi.) In response, Naked has asserted that it will not change its labels or packaging, presumably unless ordered to do so by the courts.

"Naked Juice does not add sugar to any of our juices and smoothies," Andrea Theodore, the general manager of Naked Juice, told The Daily Meal. "All sugar within comes from the fruits and vegetables themselves. We believe the FDA's new requirements to include "added sugar" to the Nutrition Facts panel will be a good thing for Naked Juice. It will help to provide clarity for consumers – which is a priority for Naked Juice – and help clear up that we never add sugar to our products."

However, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said the juice company's claims go deeper than the grams of sugar inside each bottle. The non-profit organization claimed in the lawsuit that the majority of Naked juices are made with nutrient-poor apple and orange juice.

"We acknowledge and support the existing labeling laws – and we hold ourselves to a high standard," Theodore said. "For 30 years, our products have been and will always be made from 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices without adding any sugar and our labels could not be more clear."