The Skinny on Naked Juice

Have you heard of Naked Juice? Do you drink it?

I've been drinking a bottle of Naked Juice here and there (Green Machine and Berry Blast) since it's so expensive here (anywhere from $4-8 for a bottle), but only just yesterday found out about the huge controversy surrounding it... I brought home a bottle of Green Machine to my parents' house, and asked them if they wanted to try. Of course, I was met with "Ew, it looks weird." So I happily went on to drink the rest of the bottle myself. Fast forward to a few hours later, I get a text from my Dad saying "I think you better not drink that anymore..." and he proceeds to show me a post from his friend on Facebook, outing Naked Juice for false advertising.

I was horrified to read the claims against Naked Juice. I didn't know these lawsuits went back to 2011. I was skeptical at first but did my own digging on Google and here is what I found out:

• Naked Juice uses false advertising to fraudulently promise that its beverage products are "100% juice," "all natural," and "non-GMO"
• Naked Juice intentionally uses misleading language to give consumers "the false impression that the beverages vitamin content is due to the nutritious fruits and juices, rather than the added synthetic compounds such as calcium pantothenate (synthetically produced from formaldehyde)" and "Fibersol-2 (a proprietary synthetic digestion-resistant fiber produced by Archer Daniels Midland and developed by a Japanese chemical company), fructooligosaccharides (a synthetic fiber and sweetener) and inulin (an artificial and invisible fiber added to foods to ... increase fiber content without the typical fiber mouth-feel)."
• The suit alleges that 11 synthetically derived substances - including niacinamide, d-alpha tocopherol acetate, cyanocobalamin, and pyridoxine hydrochloride - are contained in Naked Juice drinks which it says belie the label's claims that the beverage contains only the "freshest, purest stuff in the world."
• "Even if the synthetic ingredients are safe--or even beneficial--they are still not what consumers consented to ingesting, and they are still not what (Naked Juice) warranted they were providing," the lawsuit says.

Sources:
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/food-and-nutrition/naked-juice-not-naked-advertised#
http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/monrovia-s-naked-juice-sued-again-for-false-advertising
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/07/26/pepsi-co-naked-juice-not-natural/2589717/

The latest news says "PepsiCo Inc. will no longer label its Naked juices as being "all natural," after a lawsuit complained that the drinks contain ingredients that don't fit that bill... The case highlights the confusion around the use of the word "natural" in in the industry. The Food and Drug Administration doesn't currently have a definition for what constitutes a natural product... Notably, the FDA says it's difficult to define a food product that is natural, since it has likely been processed and is no longer a "product of the earth."

Needless to say, I won't be drinking any more Naked Juice. This is terribly disturbing to me because I've been trying to eat healthier. Things labeled "all natural" instantly catch my eye. It's disgusting to know how marketing and advertising can be used in such deceptive ways... how are we as consumers who are trying to be healthier; know what is REALLY "good for you" and what is just false advertising???