United States – There seems to be a fly in the ointment regarding the prebiotic sodas which the Poppi company has recently introduced to the market, as reported by HealthDay.
Claims of Misleading Labeling
The allegations were made by Kristin Cobbs in a class action last week in the San Francisco Court of the United States of America, where she said she bought Poppi drinks out of the labels that claimed to be Prebiotic sodas even as they have a tag: ‘Be Gut Happy. Be Gut Healthy.’
Insufficient Fiber Content
Still, Cobbs said that she was able to establish that later, the drinks only have about 2 grams of agave inulin fiber, which it says is good for gut health. She supported that assertion by referencing studies that established that five or seven cups of coffee per day could increase the risk of breast cancer in women. The study in question involved giving 7.5 grams of agave inulin daily for three weeks, after which there was no signifying prebiotic improvement.
“Accordingly, 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 claims. “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.”
Potential Health Risks
“However, taking large quantities of inulin can cause the following adverse effects,” the suit claimed. For instance, As little as 2. 5 grams of such prebiotic supplements could cause accumulation of gas, leading to stomach churning, and doses of 40-50 grams every day bring diarrhea, especially to IBS sufferers or persons with other digestive disorders or celiac disease.
In a statement released on Monday, Poppi has denied all the allegations contained in the lawsuit that was filed.
The board added that the company is now on a mission to revolutionize soda for the next generation of soda drinkers, and they have ensured to develop a tasting experience millions of people now enjoy, NBC News noted. “Based on our information, we do not think there are any merits in this lawsuit, and we would be keen to fight these allegations, as reported by HealthDay.
Poppi is just one of the many new products being offered to individuals in a bid to help them improve their health. New data from the consulting firm AlixPartners, quoted by NBC News, reveals that sales of prebiotic and probiotic beverages in the United States increased by more than threefold last year.