CA woman files class action against major soda brand’s use of ‘100% Natural Flavors’ on products

CALIFORNIA – A California woman filed a class action lawsuit against the Coca-Cola Company claiming it falsely advertises Sprite and Fanta as being made with “100% Natural Flavors” despite the presence of synthetic ingredients.

On April 28, 2025 plaintiff Victoria Palmer searched online for beverages and observed multiple references to “100% Natural Flavors” on the Amazon product listing for Sprite and Fanta.

She added Sprite to her Amazon shopping cart and paid $5.98.

Palmer believed, at the time of purchase, that the products were of superior quality and more healthful than comparable products that do not claim to be made with “100% Natural Flavors.”

According to Palmer, had she known that the products did not contain only naturally derived flavoring ingredients, she would not have purchased the products or would have paid less for them.

MCA is synthesized through a process involving genetically mutated mold

The claim of “100% Natural Flavors” is prominently featured on all packaging including bottles, and cans which are central to the marketing strategies for the products, claims Palmer.

“Consumers, including Plaintiff, increasingly favor products labeled or marketed as “natural,” associating them with health benefits and safety,” reads the court document.

Palmer references an Acosta Group study revealing 59% of shoppers prefer natural and organic products for perceived health benefits, with 89% of Gen Z and 85% of Millennials purchasing them in the past six months.

However, Sprite and Fanta contain industrially manufactured citric acid (MCA), a synthetic compound that significantly influences the flavor of the product.

Although citric acid can be naturally derived from citrus fruits, MCA is synthesized through a process involving genetically mutated mold (Aspergillus niger), according to Palmer.

In addition, Sprite contains synthetic ingredient sodium citrate.

Coca-Cola Company reported a revenue of $47.1 billion

Palmer says the Coca-Cola Company reported an annual revenue of $47.1 billion, in 2024, underscoring its immense scale and market dominance.

She contends Coca-Cola’s extensive industry experience makes its alleged disregard for beverage labeling and marketing laws hard to fathom.

The false advertisement violates state and federal law including both the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and the Sherman law, where a food is considered misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading in any particular, according to Palmer.

She seeks to represent a nationwide class and a California subclass of consumers who purchased Sprite or Fanta products as made with “100% Natural Flavors.”