We all know that there are plenty of questionable food brands on the market. We stress the importance of reading labels and being discerning, as many companies are more than happy to “slip one by” the customers to make money and make their foods sound healthier than they are.
Some brands are widely viewed as trustworthy. Trader Joe’s has a fanbase that loves their foods. But they are currently being sued in a class action lawsuit that alleges their No Sugar Added Dark Chocolate Chips aren’t sugar-free. The lawsuit claims the retailer deceived shoppers who believed the “No Sugar Added” label.
The chocolate is sweetened with allulose, which is a sugar according to federal labeling rules. The lawsuit claims customers paid a premium price for the chocolate chips as they thought they had no sugar added to them.
Currently, there are four lawsuits about allulose in Welch’s Zero Sugar Fruity Bites. The lawsuits are against Pim Brands and Welch Foods and were filed in New York, Illinois and California. The suits are about the Mixed Fruit, Berries ‘N Cherries and Island Fruits flavors.
Other current lawsuits about allulose being used in “sugar-free” foods are happening. The maker of David protein bars is being sued for their claims. Chobani is being sued over their Chobani Zero Sugar Greek Yogurt line. And Goli Nutrition is being sued over several of their sugar-free gummies.
In the past, we have written about allulose. It has just 0.4 calories per gram. It does not cause an insulin response.
The lawsuits aren’t claiming that the sweetener impacts blood sugar but that the products are mislabeled. According to the lawsuits, calling them “no sugar added” is wrong and “these representations are categorically misleading and false.” They don’t claim the sweetener impacts the body the same way as normal sugar, but that companies can’t call the foods “sugar-free” or “no sugar added” when using an ingredient that is technically a form of sugar.
Knowing what is in your food is an essential step to taking care of your health. When companies don’t accurately disclose what is their foods it makes it impossible to know exactly what you’re eating. These lawsuits might not seem like a huge deal, as allulose only has 0.4 calories per gram. But, as it is a natural sugar, not putting it on the label is still inaccurate.
