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 The nonprofit Praxis Project accused the defendants of downplaying
the risks to boost sales, despite scientific evidence linking sugary
beverages to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Praxis accused both defendants of using euphemisms such as "balance"
and "calories in, calories out" to mislead consumers, and Coca-Cola,
the world's largest beverage company, of trying to mislead the
public into thinking a lack of exercise was the real cause of
obesity.
"The notion that Coke's products can be part of a healthy diet is
imprinted on the minds of millions if not billions of people, and
requires corrective action," Maia Kats, litigation director of the
Center for Science in the Public Interest, which helped file the
lawsuit, said in an interview.
Coca-Cola spokesman Kent Landers called the lawsuit "legally and
factually meritless. We take our consumers and their health very
seriously and have been on a journey to become a more credible and
helpful partner in helping consumers manage their sugar
consumption."
The American Beverage Association called the lawsuit's accusations
"unfounded." It also said that, together with its members, it is
working with health groups to reduce consumers' caloric and sugar
intake from beverages.
Wednesday's lawsuit seeks to stop misleading marketing and require
more consumer warnings, among other remedies. It was filed with the
federal court in Oakland, California.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Inc have pledged to bolster efforts to reduce
added sugar in beverages.
In October, Coca-Cola Chief Operating Officer James Quincey, slated
to succeed Muhtar Kent as chief executive in May, said the
Atlanta-based company has more than 200 "reformulation initiatives"
toward that end.
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But according to the complaint, a 16-ounce bottle of Coke has 12
teaspoons of added sugar, a 15.2-ounce bottle of Minute Maid
Cranberry Grape Juice drink has 13 teaspoons, and a 20-ounce bottle
of Vitaminwater has eight teaspoons.
By comparison, the American Heart Association recommends no more
than nine teaspoons a day for men, and six for women.
A teaspoon of sugar has about 16 calories.
Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway Inc is Coca-Cola's largest
shareholder, has said he drinks at least five Cokes a day.
The CSPI sued PepsiCo in October over health claims for its Naked
juices, but did not target that company in Wednesday's lawsuit.
Kats said PepsiCo "is not promoting itself as a voice of science, or
misrepresenting the harms of sugary beverages the way Coca-Cola is."
The case is Praxis Project v Coca-Cola Co et al, U.S. District
Court, Northern District of California, No. 17-00016.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by
Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Brown)
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