According to Today, trendy pre-biotic soda brand Poppi has found themselves in a little hot water since a sore customer has launched a class action suit claiming their good-for-you nutritional promises are not all they're cracked up to be. The California resident filed the suit with the U.S. District Court of California in late May, saying she purchased Poppi brand pop several times because the cans claimed the soft drink promoted "a healthy gut." Since the claim, the soda brand has removed the prebiotic claims from their containers, which to some would imply some culpability in advertising false benefits.
The customer, Kristin Cobbs, said she bought the beverages in March both online and at brick-and-mortar retailers. She noted that the ingredients listed on the packaging are only two grams of fiber. According to the filing, this much fiber is "too low to cause meaningful gut health benefits" for someone who drinks just one can. The suit goes on to claim, ".., a consumer would need to drink more than four Poppi sodas in a day to realize any potential health benefits from its prebiotic fiber." Additional complaints include that at this volume of consumption, the sugar levels you'd take on would offset any initial benefits from other ingredients. Cobbs said she "reasonably relied" on Poppi's claims when she decided to purchase their product but the brand dropped the ball on delivering the result it promised.
According to TODAY, a representative for the brand pushed back, claiming, "We are proud of the Poppi brand and stand behind our products. We are on a mission to revolutionize soda for the next generation of soda drinkers, and we have diligently innovated to provide a tasting experience that millions of people have come to enjoy," OK, right - but where's the statement saying "and we are sure our gut-friendly product that will provide the probiotics that we promised?" The rep further claimed the lawsuit is baseless and they'd go to court about it, but again, put your bacteria where your mouth is, folks. If you are saying this woman is leveling false accusations, well, then say why.
We're not taking sides here, but we know this: America is litigation-happy, and we will sue over anything. It's soda pop people. It's not a vitamin, a pharmaceutical, a workout plan, or a shot of wheatgrass. As always, we recommend you avoid trusting your health to some trending phenomenon and instead rely on a healthy diet, enough sleep, exercise, and the advice of a trusted physician on what is good for you and what isn't.