Yerba Mate

September 2014: After the parties agreed to dismiss the lawsuit, a federal judge dismissed the individual claims with prejudice (meaning that the individuals cannot refile the complaint), and the Putative Class = what the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit are called before the court has certified the class (i.e., has allowed the lawsuit to proceed as a class action). claims without prejudice (meaning that the putative class can refile the complaint). We cannot determine the reasons why the parties agreed to dismiss the lawsuit.

March 2014: A class-action lawsuit alleging that Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc. mislabels Yerba Mate, a caffeinated South American tea-like drink, was transferred from state court to federal court. The complaint, which was originally filed in January 2014, alleges, among other things, that the company misleadingly represents that the beverages – including Pure Heart Raspberry Mate, Pure Empower Mint Mate, and Pure Mind Pomegranate Mate – contain “organic evaporated cane juice” or “evaporated cane juice,” when they actually contain sugar. (Cowan et al v. Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc., Case No. 14-cv-01248, N. D. CA.).

For more information about sugar, click here.