Liquid Death Class Action Over Sugar Content

A plaintiff named James Williamson initiated a class action lawsuit against Supplying Demand Inc., which operates as Liquid Death. The core allegation is that the company's sparkling energy drinks are marketed with "0g Sugar" and "Zero Sugar" labels, despite containing allulose, a monosaccharide sugar, as a significant ingredient.

Williamson contends that the labeling is misleading because federal and California law set a threshold for "sugar-free" claims at less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving, a limit the products allegedly exceed due to the presence of allulose. The lawsuit builds on a Seventh Circuit ruling in a related case, which determined that allulose qualifies as a sugar under FDA regulations.

The lawsuit seeks to represent a nationwide class of U.S. consumers, with a specific subclass for California residents. The complaint alleges violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Consumers Legal Remedies Act, among other claims. The current status involves the plaintiff seeking a jury trial, class certification, and damages, with the case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.