Case Overview: A class action lawsuit alleges Liquid Death mislabels its sparkling energy drinks as containing "0g Sugar" while the beverages are sweetened with allulose, a substance the lawsuit characterizes as a known sugar.

Consumers Affected: Purchasers of Liquid Death sparkling energy drinks marketed as containing zero grams of sugar

Court: Information pending

Liquid Death Faces Class Action Over "0g Sugar" Label on Drinks Allegedly Sweetened With Allulose

A new class action lawsuit alleges that Liquid Death, the trendy canned water and energy drink brand, misleads consumers by prominently advertising its sparkling energy drinks as containing "0g Sugar" — while the products are sweetened with allulose, a substance the complaint characterizes as a form of sugar that never appears on the front of the label.

According to recent reporting on the class action filing, the plaintiff contends that the "0g Sugar" claim is deceptive because it omits the presence of allulose, leaving consumers with the false impression that the drinks contain no sweeteners derived from sugar.

What the Lawsuit Alleges

At the center of the complaint is the front-label claim "0g Sugar," which the plaintiff argues creates a materially false impression about what is actually inside the can.

The lawsuit alleges that allulose — the sweetener used in the drinks — is a sugar, specifically a rare monosaccharide that occurs naturally in small quantities in certain foods. While the FDA allows manufacturers to list allulose separately from total sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel, and to exclude it from the sugar count under certain labeling rules, the complaint argues that marketing a product as containing "0g Sugar" while sweetening it with allulose crosses the line into consumer deception.

The filing states that a reasonable consumer reading "0g Sugar" on the front of a can would understand the product to contain no sugar of any kind — not merely that it contains no sugars as defined under a specific regulatory framework.

The Product at Issue

Liquid Death has built a cult following with its irreverent branding, selling canned water and, more recently, sparkling energy drinks. The brand is widely sold at major retailers and has become a recognizable name in the canned beverage space, which makes the reach of the allegedly misleading labeling significant, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit specifically targets Liquid Death's sparkling energy drinks bearing the "0g Sugar" front-label claim. The plaintiff alleges she purchased the product based, at least in part, on that representation.

The Consumer Harm Alleged

The core economic theory of the case follows a familiar false advertising framework: consumers allegedly paid a price premium for a product they believed had a specific attribute — in this case, zero sugar content — that the product did not actually possess as advertised.

The complaint states that had the plaintiff known the drinks contained allulose, a substance she understood to be a sugar, she would not have purchased the product at the price she paid, or would not have purchased it at all.

This type of "price premium" theory is commonly used in false advertising class actions, where the harm to any individual consumer may be modest but, aggregated across a large class of purchasers, can amount to substantial damages.

Why the Allulose Question Matters

Allulose occupies an unusual regulatory space. The FDA permits manufacturers to exclude allulose from the "Total Sugars" and "Added Sugars" lines on Nutrition Facts labels because it is not metabolized the same way as conventional sugars and contributes minimal calories. That flexibility has made allulose a popular ingredient for brands seeking to formulate low- or no-sugar products.

However, the lawsuit argues that FDA labeling rules do not give companies a free pass to make affirmative front-label claims that consumers may find misleading. The distinction between what is permitted in a Nutrition Facts panel and what can be prominently claimed on the front of a package is at the heart of this complaint.

Similar questions about allulose labeling practices have drawn scrutiny in other consumer protection contexts, and this lawsuit may add to growing litigation pressure on how the ingredient is marketed to health-conscious consumers.

Liquid Death's Response

As of publication, no public response from Liquid Death regarding the lawsuit's specific allegations has been reported. Defendants in class action litigation typically deny the allegations and contest class certification.

Lawsuit: Pending

Case Number: Pending

Court: Pending

Plaintiffs' Attorney(s): Information not yet available

Have you purchased Liquid Death sparkling energy drinks based on the "0g Sugar" label? Share your experience in the comments below.