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    Tropicana Lawsuit May Be Frivolous Based on 2011 Examples

    By William Browning | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Tue, Jan 10, 2012
    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
    Do you have a story to tell? Become a Yahoo! contributor

    Pepsico, the parent company of Tropicana Orange Juice, is being sued by a California woman. Reuters reports Angelena Lewis claims the juice company is misleading consumers with their labeling on products. At issue is Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice. The plaintiff claims flavors are added to the juice which in turn would lead to alleged mislabeling of the "100 percent natural" words on the package.

    If you think this lawsuit is frivolous, check out some of these from the past year.

    "Drive" Trailer

    One moviegoer believes the trailer for the movie "Drive" was misleading. Entertainment Weekly reported in October that Sarah Deming felt like the trailer and movie title for "Drive" was completely misleading. Legal filings allege the plaintiff went to see the movie believing it to be more like "Fast and Furious" with car racing. Instead, she got a violent take on bank robberies when a car driving stunt man turns to crime.

    White Castle Booths

    Forbes reported in September that Martin Kessman is a huge fan of White Castle hamburgers. So much so, the man sued over his inability to fit into booths at the restaurant. Kessman has been eating White Castle burgers since 1959. Legal papers allege his 290-pound frame couldn't fit into a booth in April 2009. Yet somehow Kessman waited to sue the chain two and a half years later. The restaurant in question was going to be renovated to give customers extra booth space, but apparently that hasn't happened yet.

    Preschool, Not Prep School

    The New York Times reported in March that the York Avenue Preschool was being sued by Nicole Imprescia. The reason the $19,000 per year school was being sued was because Imprescia felt like the school was not preparing her daughter for the E.R.B. test. That particular test measures whether or not some children can test into private schools and eventually prestigious institutes of higher learning. The plaintiff is seeking damages in addition to a refund on the tuition.

    Turn Lead Into Gold

    A New Jersey woman sued retailer Century 21 over a $5 coupon back in February. Tova Gerson claimed in federal court that Century 21 ripped off customers with a coupon fraud "scheme." She spent over $100 and used a $5 off coupon on a shopping trip. When Gerson returned an item priced at $17.97, the store reduced the refund by 80 cents at a pro-rated rate due to the $5 off coupon she used. The New York Post reported Gerson is suing the store chain for $5 million alleging that "hundreds of thousands" of shoppers have been victimized. Gerson's father is a lawyer.

    When Is Juice Not Juice?

    The latest seemingly frivolous lawsuit against Tropicana claims Pepsico adds flavors to their orange juice. Tropicana's website claims their Pure Premium juice contains "100% pure and natural orange juice." There are sixteen different varieties of the juice based upon different pulp levels and some even have added Vitamin D and calcium. Those varieties that have additives say so on the nutrition labels. Whether or not substances like calcium hydroxide alters the flavor of orange juice apparently will be up to a federal court in California.

    William Browning is a research librarian.

     

    5 comments

    • StashSheetek
      StashSheetek  •  St Louis, Missouri  •  4 mths ago
      Its someone elses fault I drink juice...its someone elses fault I saw a dumb movie...its someone elses fault I consumed so #$%$ many burgers I dont fit at the burger table anymore. Ugh- when will people wise up, take some ownership for their OWN stupid behaviors and get a frickin' clue? I hope just ONE of thes companies pushes back and makes an example outta one of these MORONS who burnt themselves because - guess what? - the hot coffee they bought was - gasp!!! - HOT.
    • James
      James  •  Pleasanton, California  •  4 mths ago
      Large corporations don't take over a smaller company and then IMPROVE the product(s). They buy them to shave off the costs and 'improve' the bottom line. I've never in my life seen the bottom line 'improved' by improving the product. Simple as that.
    • Pamela
      Pamela  •  Indianapolis, Indiana  •  4 mths ago
      I happen to agree with the moviegoer who went to see Drive. I felt duped by the trailer when I saw the movie also. However, it is a silly, senseless thing to sue over. If she wins, are we moviegoers going to have to absorb the cost of people paid to monitor the movie trailers to make sure they accurately portray the movie's contents??

      Not sure how anyone could dump the Tropicana suit into the same category, however. As a Tropicana drinker, I will be interested to see how that turns out. They should not be allowed to label the carton 100% pure if they are adding ingredients, even if on the ingredients list. Sort of like the can of salmon I looked at in the grocery store once that said "wild caught" on the label but said the salmon was farmed in fine print on the back. Deceptive.
    • DB
      DB  •  Denver, Colorado  •  4 mths ago
      Adding flavorings and chemicals to tasteless OJ that has been stripped of natural flavors and oxygen and stored in vats for as much as a year does not equal a 100% pure and natural, 100% fresh orange juice. We've been deceived and as a long-time drinker of Tropicana Pure Premium I feel cheated and deceived. I hope this lawsuit proceeds to a jury.

      Eating a "fresh" orange is almost as bad. They pick them green, store them in special gases to last for weeks or months, and color the skins orange. The pesticides are sealed onto the skin with waxy coatings to make them shiny.

      That's why fresh oranges usually lack in flavor and sweetness, and most aren't worth the effort to peel them.
      • BrianF
        BrianF 4 mths ago
        Oranges are picked green from October through early December. They are gassed to make the outsides turn orange. Before being picked they must be tested to make sure they are adequately sweet, or they will be "red tagged" and not allowed to ship.

        From late December through June they are picked orange on the tree - this is the best time to eat oranges.

        Oranges are treated with a fungicide and wax before packing. Unless you eat orange peels, this shouldn't be a problem. If you need orange peel for a recipe, get an organic orange.
    • CELTICPRINCE
      CELTICPRINCE  •  Jackson, Mississippi  •  4 mths ago
      GOTTA KEEP THE LAWYERS IN BUSINESS!
     Post a comment
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