Dynamic Accident Lawyers: Nectresse Class Action: ‘Natural’ Sweetener is Falsely Advertised

Johnson & Johnson is facing a class action lawsuit over allegations that it marketed Nectresse as a natural sweetener made primarily from monk fruit when it allegedly consists primarily of a synthetic ingredient.

Plaintiff Lorraine Viggiano of California filed the Nectresse class action lawsuit after claiming to be misled by advertising that reported the sweetener is 100% natural.

According to Viggiano, for each purchase she made of the “natural” sweetener she was deceived into believing the product was mainly comprised of Monk Fruit, which is a melon that grows in central Asia.

The Nectresse 100% natural class action lawsuit alleges that potential Class Members were exposed to a long-term advertising campaign that promoted the natural qualities of the no-calorie sweetener.

In addition to television commercials, the Nectresse lawsuit claims that the product label conveyed a misleading message of being a healthy choice “superior to competing sugar-alternative sweeteners that do not claim to be natural.”

Plaintiff Viggiano alleges that the marketing for Nectresse was a scheme to make the sugar-substitute more attractive to consumers in order to boost sales. In reality, the Nectresse class action lawsuit states that the 100% natural sugar substitute is made of 83% erythritol, which is a synthetically manufactured ingredient.

According to the Nectresse lawsuit, erythritol is made by taking Monk Fruit and turning it into an extract by a five-step process: “pick, crush, infuse, dry, blend (with other natural sweeteners).” However, Viggiano’s lawsuit claims that Nectresse’s manufacturer does not inform consumers that the sweetener is made predominantly of synthetic erythritol and contains only a very small portion of Monk Fruit.

In addition, Viggiano claims that she and other potential Class Members paid a premium for the “natural” sugar substitute. Nectresse costs nearly twice as much as other sweeteners manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, including Splenda.

What is Nectresse?

Johnson & Johnson, together with McNeil Nutritionals, introduced the new no-calorie sweetener Nectresse on the U.S. market in 2012. However, by 2014 the manufacturers decided to pull the product based on allegedly low sales.

According to the Nectresse class action lawsuit filed by Viggiano, the sweetener label described Monk Fruit and erythritol in the following way:

Monk Fruit is a round, green melon that grows on vines on remote mountaintops in central Asia. The fruit has been cultivated for centuries. An extract from the fruit has been recently re-discovered as an ingredient ideally suited for sweetening foods and beverages. Monk Fruit Extract is about 150X sweeter than sugar and contributes zero calories per serving of NECTRESSE™ Natural No Calorie Sweetener.
Erythritol is an all-natural, sugar alcohol that is naturally fermented from sugars and is found in many vegetables and fruits.

In addition to this ingredient description, the Nectresse label also included printed claims of being a “natural no calorie sweetener,” “from the makers of Splenda,” and “100% natural.”

The Nectresse Natural Class Action Lawsuit is Lorraine Viggiano v. Johnson & Johnson et al., Case No. 2:14-cv-07250 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Join a Free Nectresse Natural Sweetener Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you used Nectresse Natural Sweetener No Calories Sweetener to find out that it isn’t 100% Natural as the label claimed and not made entirely from monk fruit, you may have a legal claim.

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