A mother in New York has filed a lawsuit against Canada Dry soda manufacturer, accusing the company of misleading advertising that overstates the amount of ginger in its ginger ale soda.
According to court documents obtained by NBC News, Julie Fletcher of Bolivar, New York, filed a lawsuit against Canada Dry owners Dr.Pepper Snapple Group, claiming that she mistakenly believed for years the that soda had more ginger content than it did, and would give it to her children to treat stomachaches.
The lawsuit cites the labeling “made from real ginger” as deceptive, because the main ingredients for ginger ale are corn syrup and carbonated water.
“At the time of each purchase of Canada Dry, Ms. Fletcher did not know that the Products that she purchased were not made from real ginger, but were instead made from a miniscule amount of a ginger flavor extract, which does not contain any of the health benefits of real ginger,” the filing reads.
The well-researched lawsuit, which Fletcher opened as a class action so that others could join her, reportedly shows that Canada Dry saw a spike in profits after changing its slogan to “real ginger, real taste.” Sales reportedly went up nine percent within six months after the advertising campaign was rolled out, and continued to rise for years afterwards, the lawsuit claims.
It is not known how much Fletches is asking for in damages.