Dive Summary:
- A class action lawsuit was filed against Trader Joe's in California, claiming that their "evaporated cane juice" ingredient is misleading to the consumer.
- "Evaporated cane juice," according to the plaintiffs' side, is just another name for sugar or cane syrup, and a sly move perpetrated by the company.
- The lawsuit is based on a 2009 FDA guidance that forbade companies from labeling and referring to "evaporated cane juice" in any way that can imply that it is a juice.
From the article:
Plaintiffs are relying on a 2009 guidance document from FDA, which states that evaporated cane juice is a sweetener derived from sugar cane syrup. Companies should not refer to the sweetener by a name that suggests the ingredient is juice, the agency advised companies. FDA also has sent warning letters to companies, reiterating its previous guidance that "evaporated cane juice is not the common or usual name of any type of sweetener."