Weiss v. Trader Joe’s Company
Overview
Weiss v. Trader Joe’s Company (U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, March 3, 2021): After Plaintiff Weiss sued Trader Joe’s, claiming statements misled her into believing a beverage would balance her internal bodily pH and provide superior hydration, the 9th Circuit ruled that a reasonable consumer would not interpret any of the challenged language to suggest these benefits. Trader Joe’s “Alkaline Water + Electrolytes” bottle includes statements such as “ionized to achieve the perfect balance,” “refresh & hydrate,” and holographic plus signs. Weiss brought consumer protection claims against Trader Joe’s, arguing that these and similar statements in Trader Joe’s online newsletter misled her. The court ruled that a reasonable consumer would not interpret any of the challenged representation to suggest internal PH balancing or superior hydration compared to other beverages. Read the full decision here.
View all cases in the Judicial Trends in Public Health – May 14, 2021.