Misleading health claims lawsuit halted against Tetley
A federal judge in California dismissed a class action lawsuit claiming that Tetley misled consumers about the health benefits of tea. The lawsuit against Tetley USA, part of Tata Global Beverages group, centered around antioxidant, nutrient content and health claims made on the website and packaging. It alleged that claims such as "natural source of antioxidants" were illegal under the Food Drug & Cosmetic Act as adopted in California law. Furthermore, antioxidant content claims were said to be unlawful, because they failed to comply with Recommended Daily Intake guidelines, which are actually not even set for antioxidants. The judge threw out the lawsuit because it failed to properly define the list of Tetley products in question, but gave attorneys fifteen days to amend the complaint.