A lawsuit filed in California against Poppi (Austin, TX) claims the prebiotic sodas do not improve gut health as much as their marketing suggests.
The class-action lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California by Kristin Cobbs of San Francisco, CA. The complaint alleges Poppi sodas contain less prebiotic fiber than advertised. Cobbs is seeking monetary compensation for herself and other customers.
“A consumer would need to drink more than four Poppi sodas in a day to realize any potential health benefits from its prebiotic fiber,” the lawsuit stated. “However, even if a consumer were to do this, Poppi’s high sugar content would offset most, if not all, of these purported gut health benefits.”
According to the company, Poppi is made from agave inulin, apple cider vinegar, fruit juice, cane sugar and other ingredients. The lawsuit claims drinking enough Poppi to “promote gut health” would cause consumers to drink “harmful levels of cane sugar,” which can lead to gut health issues.
“Despite Poppi’s ‘prebiotic’ marketing claims, which assure consumers, on the can, that they can ‘Be Gut Happy (and) Be Gut Healthy,’ as one nutritionist bluntly explained: the products ‘are basically sugared water,’” the lawsuit said.
Cobbs last purchased Poppi in March 2024 and said if she knew about the soda’s prebiotic fiber content and how excessive consumption would “negatively impact her health,” she would not have bought the products.
Poppi responded in a statement, “We are proud of the Poppi brand and stand behind our products. We are on a mission to revolutionize soda for the next generation of soda drinkers, and we have diligently innovated to provide a tasting experience that millions of people have come to enjoy. We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we will vigorously defend against these allegations.”
Poppi was made famous from the business television series Shark Tank and is loved by numerous celebrities such as Post Malone, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez and Olivia Munn, according to USA Today. Poppi stands by the efficacy of its products, the company stated.
