The WhiteWave Foods Co (WWAV), Brown-Forman Corporation (BF.B), Whole Foods Market, Inc. (WFM): Court Confusion Leaves Sour Taste Over Sweeteners

Whether or not you agree that evaporated cane juice is an actionable term, it’s easy to see that conflicting decisions will harm consumer goods companies that will increasingly become the target of trial lawyers who are already pushing their shopping carts down the grocery store aisle looking for the biggest names to sue.

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:WFM) was hit with a lawsuit because its “natural” private-label soda contained caramel flavoring, citric acid, and carbon dioxide. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was sued because a lawyer said consumers would be confused over the name of its Vitaminwater brand. And Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE:DPS)  got served because its berry-flavored 7-Up label had pictures of berries on it and the plaintiff thought the antioxidants came from juice instead of the added vitamin E.

If the government is going to set common standards for food manufacturers, then there needs to be a single one-stop shop they can turn to when questions arise about their practices. Chobani fears the current environment will lead to confusion and lawsuits, and that outcome is not so sweet for consumers or investors.

The article Court Confusion Leaves Sour Taste Over Sweeteners originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Rich Duprey.

Fool contributor Rich Duprey owns shares of WhiteWave Foods (NYSE:WWAV). The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Beam, Coca-Cola, and Whole Foods Market. It owns shares of Apple, WhiteWave Foods, and Whole Foods Market. 

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