Lawsuit: Poppi Prebiotic Soda’s ‘Gut Health’ Claim Misleading

You might want to brace yourself for this news if you're a Poppi head. The popular prebiotic soda featured on Shark Tank is facing a class-action consumer fraud lawsuit. It alleges that the prebiotic soda alternative misrepresents the beverage’s gut health benefits.

According to the lawsuit, Kristin Cobbs of San Francisco filed a class action lawsuit on Wednesday, representing herself and other consumers “similarly situated” against Poppi's parent company, VNGR Beverage LLC, based in Austin, Texas.

The Poppi consumer states that the company concealed and misrepresented the “true nature” of its products, which may not be so gut-healthy after all. Poppi contains two grams of prebiotics per can, which, according to the lawsuit, is too small of an amount to reap any real benefit.

It’s worth mentioning that Poppi’s competitor Olipop, contains nine grams of prebiotic fiber per can.

The lawsuit claims that a consumer would have to down four cans of Poppi for positive gut effects, which would then be offset by the drink’s high sugar content.

One nutritionist quoted in the lawsuit calls Poppi “basically sugared water.” The suit further alleges Poppi doesn’t warn consumers about the health risks of its brand of prebiotic, the dietary fiber agave inulin. According to Stanford Medicine, excess inulin can cause liver damage and digestive issues, including bloating, cramps, and diarrhea.

Cobbs said that she "reasonably relied" on Poppi's promise of gut-healthy soda and decided to pay the "substantial price premium."

"Ms. Cobbs, however, did not receive the benefit of her bargains because the products did not, in fact, contain enough ‘prebiotics’ to achieve any meaningful 'gut health,'" the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit "demands" a trial by jury, claiming that Poppi falsely advertised the health benefits of their products.

Poppi launched in 2020 and gained popularity from its feature on Shark Tank. According to Healthline, the soda combines fruit juice, apple cider vinegar, and inulin prebiotics, dietary fibers that help beneficial bacteria grow in your bowels It can be found at Whole Foods, Target, and Costco retailers.

The company has stated on its website that they’ve become beloved by some “new besties” like Post Malone, Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Russell Westbrook, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Munn, and more.

Way too often labels in grocery stores and pharmacies show how marketers use buzzwords to sell products. For example, in the beverage aisle, you might encounter “prebiotic” sodas that claim to support “gut health.” In the beauty department, there are “medical-grade” serums, “probiotic” facial creams, and “skin detoxing” treatments. Meanwhile, the supplements section is filled with promises of “immunity support,” “hormone balance,” and “energy enhancement,” among other things.

Sometimes health-focused buzzwords can attract consumers without being entirely true. It wouldn’t hurt to challenge these claims and do your own research.