CSPI to Sue 7UP Over New ‘Natural’ Claim

Last month, 7UP made a splash when it announced that is was removing all artificial ingredients from the soda in a bid to address consumer demand for natural products. But now, the Center for Science in the Public Interest plans to file a lawsuit against Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, the maker of 7UP, unless the company drops the claim.

CSPI said that while Cadbury Schweppes did remove some of the artificial ingredients from the drink, high-fructose corn syrup still remains. CSPI says that because the drink still contains high-fructose corn syrup, Cadbury Schweppes is telling an “untruth” in its ads that claim the drink is 100% natural.

CSPI cited new TV spots that show cans of 7UP being plucked from fruit trees or harvested from the ground. It said there is no fruit juice in 7UP, despite the implication. CSPI said that high-fructose corn syrup is made from a complex, multistep industrial process whereby starch is extracted from corn and converted with acids or enzymes into glucose and fructose.

“Pretending that soda made with high-fructose corn syrup is ‘all natural’ is just plain old deception,” said CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson, in a statement. “High-fructose corn syrup isn’t something you could cook up from a bushel of corn in your kitchen, unless you happen to be equipped with centrifuges, hydrolones, ion-exchange columns and buckets of enzymes.”

Officials at Cadbury Schweppes could not be reached for comment.

In a legal notice sent to Cadbury Schweppes, CSPI said that the suit was intended to stop the company from describing products made with high-fructose corn syrup as “natural.” CSPI said that it would also seek restitution and corrections to 7UP advertising. Last month, Cadbury Schweppes announced that it had revamped its lemon-lime soft drink to be made from 100% natural ingredients: filtered carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, natural citric acid, natural flavors and natural potassium citrate. The amount of sodium has been reduced by nearly 50%. (PROMO Xtra, April 24, 2006)

The company said that all artificial ingredients had been removed . TV, radio, print and online ads, sampling and retail partnerships were planned to support the change. 7UP hit the market in 1929.