US juice company settles 'all natural' lawsuit

Naked Juice, a beverage company owned by Pepsi Co, has settled a class-action lawsuit filed against it in a California court for $10 million (US$9 million).

Consumers who bought bottles of flavours such as Green Machine, Mighty Mango and Protein Zone over the last five years can claim payments of up to US$75 with proof of purchase, and US$45 without.

The details of the settlement can be found on nakedjuiceclass.com.

The lawsuit accused the self-described "super-premium juice" company ran afoul of laws and regulations related to advertising, labelling and marketing of various products, which were marketed as "all natural" yet contained genetically modified organisms.

Naked Juice denies all the claims made in the complaint.

"Our juices and smoothies are made with all-natural fruits and vegetables — with no added sugar and no preservatives," a company spokeswoman said in a statement.

"In some products, we also include an added boost of vitamins. Naked juice and smoothies will continue to be labeled 'non-GMO', and until there is more detailed regulatory guidance around the word 'natural' ― we've chosen not to use 'All Natural' on our packaging."

The company also said that it is planning to enlist an independent third party to "confirm our non-GMO status across the entire Naked brand portfolio."