Capri-Sun Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Misleading Claims About Juice Fruit Punch

Product’s “100% juice” claim misleads consumers about the presence of synthetic preservatives, lawsuit alleges.

A California woman has filed a class action lawsuit against Capri-Sun, alleging the brand falsely markets its fruit punch as “100% juice,” even though it contains the synthetic preservative citric acid.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Tyisha Danzy in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on August 11, naming The Kraft Heinz Company, doing business as Capri-Sun, as the sole defendant.

Although citric acid occurs naturally in citrus fruits, the type used in most packaged foods is synthetic and produced through chemical processing. Danzy’s lawsuit claims that more than 90 percent of the citric acid in Capri-Sun is made using chemical solvents.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists synthetic citric acid in its inventory of substances added to food, due to its common use in ultra-processed food (UPF). These kinds of products include many sugary cereals, packaged snacks, frozen entrees, fast foods and soft drinks, which are designed to mimic the tastes and textures of natural foods, but are actually infused with added sugars, salt, fats and other potentially unhealthy substances. 

Concerns about the use of chemical additives has gained increasing urgency, as a growing body of research suggests that ultra-processed foods may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other diseases, particularly among vulnerable children.

As a result of these findings, a number of families and individuals across the U.S. have begun filing processed food lawsuits against major manufacturers like Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, General Mills and Kellogg’s, claiming the companies know about the health risks, yet continued to aggressively marketed their products towards children.

In her lawsuit, Danzy says she bought Capri-Sun 100% Juice Fruit Punch from Costco online in February 2025, relying on the claim that it was “100% fruit juice.” She says the marketing message “For The Picky One – one who will only accept 100%” further reinforced that belief. 

However, after purchasing the product, Danzy says she noticed labeling in a smaller font on the package, stating that Capri-Sun also contains “added ingredients and other natural flavors.”

The complaint points out that among these added ingredients is citric acid, which is a synthetic product. Citric acid is a naturally occurring substance, yet it is often derived for food products through the use of chemical solvents n-octyl alcohol and synthetic isoparaffinic petroleum hydrocarbons, which are used to extract it from the fungus Aspergillus niger, according to Danzy.

Since this substance serves as a preservative, Danzy argues that the product is misbranded under FDA regulations and California’s Sherman Law, which require that the purpose of food additives be disclosed in labeling. The label’s addition of “added ingredients and other natural flavors” does not do this, Danzy claims.

The lawsuit states that Capri-Sun does not contain 100% juice since it also contains synthetic citric acid used as a preservative, meaning that the package labeling is “false and misleading.”

“Unfortunately for consumers, Defendant’s marketing and labeling practices are precisely what consumers are seeking to avoid: pure juice representations made clearly and conspicuously on the front labels while inconspicuously disclosing contradictory ingredient information in small, inconspicuous font on the other side of the packaging.”

— Tyisha Danzy v. The Kraft Heinz Company

Danzy raises allegations of violations of California’s Consumers Legal Remedy Act (CLRA) §1750, §17200, and §17500, as well as breach of express warranty. She is seeking class action status for her lawsuit, with a special subclass for California residents, in addition to compensatory, statutory and punitive damages.

Processed Food Lawsuits

The addition of chemicals and other substances to various kinds of food has led to a series of lawsuits against many major food manufacturers in recent months.

Bryce Martinez brought what is believed to be one of the first lawsuits targeting ultra-processed food manufacturers in December 2024, claiming that years of consuming heavily marketed junk food led him to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and NAFLD prior to the age of 16.

The lawsuit was originally filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, naming Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kellogg’s, Nestlé and other major food manufacturers as defendants. Martinez claims that these companies deliberately targeted children and low-income communities with misleading marketing of their addictive food products.

He indicates that by promoting ultra-processed foods to children without proper warnings about the potential long-term health risks, these companies prioritized profits over public health. The case has since been transferred to federal court, where it is now before U.S. District Judge Mia R. Perez in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with the defendants filing a motion to dismiss. A ruling on whether Martinez’ claims can move forward is still pending.

The outcome of this case could set a precedent for similar lawsuits, as additional families come forward to allege that long-term exposure to ultra-processed foods has contributed to chronic health conditions for them and their children.

Ultra-processed foods lawyers continue to review potential claims on behalf of individuals and families of individuals diagnosed with illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, NAFLD and other conditions related to the consumption of UPFs.

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