California resident Victoria Palmer has filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that, despite labels claiming Sprite and Fanta contain '100% Natural Flavors,' the beverages actually include synthetic additives such as artificial citric acid, citrates, and benzoates. While common in the food industry, these additives do not meet the definition of truly natural ingredients.
Palmer alleges that Coca-Cola’s labeling practices violate several federal and state laws, including the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law.
Sprite, labeled '100% Natural Flavors,' a product of the Coca-Cola Company - ClassAction.Org
The Amazon page for the Sprite product - ClassAction.Org
The plaintiff argues that sweetness is a fundamental component of how flavor is experienced and that no reasonable consumer would expect a product labeled and marketed as containing '100% Natural Flavors' to also include artificial sweeteners.
Palmer further contends that although citric acid can be naturally derived from citrus fruits, this method of production has been largely abandoned due to economic inefficiency. Instead, the citric acid industrially synthesized through a process involving “genetically mutated mold (Aspergillus niger):”
“Even after the mutated Aspergillus niger metabolizes the sugar medium—along with other introduced catalysts—to fuel its growth and produce a citric acid derivative as a byproduct, that derivative is not immediately usable. It must undergo a series of chemically intensive processes. Specifically, the compound is first reacted with non-natural sulfuric acid [H₂SO₄], then subjected to further refinement steps including adsorption using resins and activated charcoal, evaporation, crystallization, and drying.”
“This method of production further underscores the departure from any reasonable definition of “natural,” involving genetically modified organisms, non-natural catalysts, and extensive chemical processing that defy consumer expectations.”
Fanta, labeled '100% Natural Flavors,' a product of the Coca-Cola Company - ClassAction.Org
Palmer submitted the class-action complaint on May 27, 2025. The case is still in the pleading stage. Coca‑Cola has not yet filed a response.
For more details, see the full class-action filing Palmer v. The Coca-Cola Company, Case No. 2:25-cv-04777, U.S. District Court, Central District of California