National Beverage Corp., the American beverage maker, is reportedly being sued over the allegations that its LaCroix Sparkling Water product contains synthetic ingredients. Reports claim, the ingredients also include a substance that is commonly used as a type of cockroach insecticide.
The lawsuit was filed in Chicago Illinois’ Cook County and reportedly slams the National Beverage Corp. for mislabeling its flagship product LaCroix Sparkling Water as an all-natural drink.
According to a recent report, the law firm of Beaumont Costales filed the lawsuit last week in Chicago. Following the announcement of the lawsuit, the shares of National Beverage Corp. fell by nearly 9%. Initially, the company’s stock fell by over 2.3% however, the stocks were down 8.8% the following week.
The complaint reportedly stated that the beverage making company was misleading customers by claiming that their product is a 100% natural. The lawsuit further claimed that the sparkling water ingredients also contain a substance called linalool which is typically utilized as a cockroach insecticide.
Areva Martin, a legal expert, reportedly stated that if the lawsuit’s allegations are found to be substantial then the company could face dire consequences and it might be forced to change the product’s labelling. Martin further added that if the company changes the product label then it would also have to completely restructure its marketing strategy.
National Beverage Corporation reportedly released a statement saying that it categorically denies all the lawsuit’s allegations. The statement further slammed the lawsuit to be baseless, without any fact or law concerning the beverage’s natural composition. The statement claims that the natural flavorings used in LaCroix are derived from the fruit’s natural essence oils.
Roger Clemens, a food safety expert hailing from the University of Southern California, reportedly stated that customers need not be alarmed as the compounds under scrutiny naturally occur in citrus-based drinks like lime and orange juice.
Moreover, the drink would reportedly have to contain 50% of linalool to be a health risk.