Minute Maid wins right to label juice after Pomegranate flavoring

Minute Maid, the juice maker owned by Coca-Cola, has won the right to continue labeling its 'Enhanced Pomegranate Blueberry Juice' as such, in spite of the juice only containing just 0.3% pomegranate juice and 0.2% blueberry juice.

Pom Wonderful, a company that makes 100 percent pure pomegranate juice, lost the case it brought against Minute Maid over claims of false labeling and advertising. According to Pom Wonderful "Minute Maid hides behind FDA labeling technicalities by pointing out their product’s front label says 'Flavored Blend of 5 Juices.'" In fact if the consumer looks up the product on Minute Maid's website there is no information regarding the extremely minuscule amount of pomegranate and blueberry juice contained in the "Blend of 5 Juices" which "deliciously refreshes while helping to nourish your brain and body." According to the San Francisco Chronicle the court ruled that as far as it could tell FDA regulations allowed for the blended juice to be labeled after its primary flavors and "the court did not wish to risk undercutting the FDA's expert judgments and authority." The court also said "The ingredients are 99.4 percent apple and grape juices, which are cheaper than pomegranate and blueberry juices." Even though this appears to confirm the claims made by Pom Wonderful that the advertising used is misleading, the court ruled on behalf if Minute Maid, thus allowing beverages to be advertised by their flavoring rather than actual ingredients. Responding to the verdict Pom Wonderful said "Let’s face it, health benefits are the primary reason people drink pomegranate juice, and if consumers are drinking the juice for that purpose they are being seriously and dangerously misled by Minute Maid."