Mott’s “100% Juice” Isn’t All Natural, Class Action Lawsuit Claims

Case Overview: The lawsuit accuses Mott’s of falsely labeling juices as “100%” despite synthetic additives.

Consumers Affected: Shoppers who bought Mott’s juices containing ascorbic acid.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. has been selling Mott’s fruit juices under a “100% Juice” banner while quietly including a synthetic ingredient that federal regulators classify as a chemical preservative, according to a new lawsuit filed by a consumer. 

The lawsuit argues that the branding misleads health-conscious shoppers and violates food-labeling rules designed to prevent companies from disguising added ingredients. 

Mott’s prominently displays “100% Juice” on its packaging alongside images of fresh fruit, even though every product in question contains ascorbic acid, an additive the U.S. Department of Agriculture identifies as synthetically derived and the Food and Drug Administration lists as a chemical preservative, the lawsuit lays out. 

It alleges the juices should have disclosed this on the front label and used language making clear the juice includes added preservatives, not simply “added ingredients” or “added vitamin C.”

Brooklyn Shopper Says She Paid Extra For Juice That Wasn’t Pure

Brooklyn resident Gail Gray, who filed the lawsuit, purchased Mott’s juices, including the Apple White Grape flavor, through Amazon. She says in the filing that the “100% Juice” branding was a major factor in choosing Mott’s over comparable products that didn’t make the same claim.

Gray alleges she paid a premium based on the belief she was buying pure juice with no non-juice ingredients and would not have purchased the juices had she known a synthetic preservative was included. Because of that, she says in the lawsuit she didn’t receive what she paid for.

Lawsuit Claims Mott’s Used Synthetic Ascorbic Acid Without Disclosure

A booming global juice market driven by consumers seeking more natural, nutrient-dense beverages and avoiding synthetic ingredients is a reason Mott’s failed to disclose the ingredient openly, the lawsuit claims. 

While ascorbic acid can occur naturally, the lawsuit notes that “all commercial ascorbic acid” is synthetically produced because isolating it from fruit is too costly.

The FDA regulates ascorbic acid as a preservative across multiple categories, including canned and bottled juices, and requires companies to disclose when a “100% juice” product contains non-juice additives. 

The lawsuit argues that Mott’s labeling skirts these rules and presents the juices as more natural than they are, particularly for consumers who would not expect a synthetic preservative in a product advertised as pure juice.

Food And Beverage Giants Face Rising Labeling Lawsuits

Mott’s isn’t the only brand facing scrutiny over synthetic acids in products marketed as clean or natural. A recent lawsuit against global acai chain Oakberry accuses the company of promoting its smoothies as preservative-free despite containing a synthetically produced ingredient.

This summer, Kroger was sued for labeling its Simple Truth Fruit & Grain Bars as preservative-free even though they contain citric acid, while another case targets Coca-Cola for advertising Sprite and Fanta as containing “100% Natural Flavors” despite synthetically manufactured ingredients.

In the Mott’s juices class action lawsuit, Gray aims to represent consumers nationwide who bought the juices in accusing Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. of violating consumer protection laws, misleading purchasers, and profiting from deceptive marketing. 

She is seeking damages, an injunction forcing the company to change its labeling practices, and reimbursement of costs, fees, and interest.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Gray v. Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.
• Case Number: 1:25-cv-06527-NGG-VMS 
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Plaintiffs' Attorney

• Adrian Gucovschi (Gucovschi Law Firm, PLLC)

Do you trust “100% Juice” labels on store shelves? Tell us in the comments.