Poppi under fire in California court for allegedly exaggerating health benefits

The trendy prebiotic soda Poppi is under fire, facing accusations of false advertising regarding the gut health advantages it touts.

According to Newsweek, the new class-action complaint filed in San Francisco directly targets Poppi, a celebrity-endorsed prebiotic soda that has seen meteoric growth among health-conscious buyers. The suit, recently filed in California, accuses Poppi of false advertising by grossly exaggerating the gut health advantages of its beverages.

Poppi has branded itself as a "healthy" soda alternative, with catchphrases like "Be Gut Happy'' and "Be Gut Healthy" adorning its cans. These drinks boast apple cider vinegar, fruit juice, and prebiotic fiber, supposedly nurturing beneficial gut bacteria. However, per the platform, the lawsuit claims Poppi only contains around 2 grams of prebiotic fiber per can – an amount too low to provide meaningful gut health improvements from a single serving.

"To get any potential gut benefits from the prebiotic fiber, one would have to consume at least four cans per day," states the complaint filed by plaintiff Kristin Cobbs of San Francisco. "But the high amounts of cane sugar in Poppi would likely negate any positive impacts on gut health."

Cobbs alleges she and other consumers were misled by Poppi's marketing into purchasing a "healthy beverage" that is essentially just "sugared water." She is seeking restitution on behalf of Poppi drinkers nationwide.

Ever since Poppi hit the spotlight on Shark Tank back in 2020, the brand's soda sales have taken off like a rocket, raking in over $100 million and grabbing a whopping 19% share of the U.S. soda market, or so claims the class action lawsuit. Those vibrant Poppi cans featuring celebrity endorsements have definitely caught consumers' eyes, helping the brand score coveted shelf space at trendy grocers like Whole Foods.

Faced with these allegations, Poppi isn't backing down – they've flatly denied the claims as "baseless" and vowed to put up a fierce legal fight. "We stand resolutely behind our products and our goal of reinventing soda for the next generation," a Poppi spokesperson declared.

Time and again, nutritionists have raised red flags about these so-called "healthy" soda alternatives that are still packed with sugar despite boasting about ingredients like prebiotics or apple cider vinegar. Doctors keep stressing that achieving a healthy gut requires a well-balanced, fiber-rich diet focused on plants, not sugary beverages.

This lawsuit really shines a light on the uphill battle consumers wage every time they hit the grocery aisles, trying to navigate a sea of products making potentially misleading claims about nutrition and wellness. As the legal battle plays out, it may prompt greater scrutiny around the true health impacts of trendy prebiotic sodas like Poppi.