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Thursday, March 23 2017

An Oregon woman is suing a bottled water company, claiming its coconut water contained no coconut.

Vicky Silva has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oregon against Unique Beverage Co. LLC, the makers of Cascade Ice waters, seeking to certify the lawsuit as a class action to help get relief for herself and others who she believes were duped into purchasing the coconut water thinking they were getting the benefits of coconut.

Saying coconut water is a "billion-dollar industry," Silva's attorneys criticized Unique Beverage Co. for using "puffery" and "deceit" to entice unsuspecting consumers.

According to news reports, the label indicates that the product is a "naturally flavored sparkling water" and the maker defended its beverage by noting its drinks were "flavored with all natural fruit essences" extracted from essential oils.

Silva's lawsuit seeks an injunction requiring Unique Beverage Co. to change the labels on its coconut water products to reflect that the beverage lacks coconut. Silva also is seeking restitution for anyone in Oregon who purchased the coconut water in the past year, and for monetary damages to be determined by the court.

Source:  portlandtribune.com