Have you consumed the Poppi prebiotic sodas believing that these trendy and popular beverages—promoted on social media by celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Jennifer Lopez—would benefit your gut health? You might have been misled in that case, according to allegations in a recent class action lawsuit.
"Prebiotics are a special type of fiber that can act as food for healthy bacteria in your gut," Poppi's claims of its products on their website. "Each can of poppi includes agave inulin, a prebiotic (and natural sweetener!) extracted from the agave tequilana plant."
However, the lawsuit, which was initiated on Wednesday, claims that the sodas, marketed as low-sugar and beneficial for gut health, contain only minimal amounts of prebiotic fiber (merely 2 grams per serving). It argues that this quantity is too insignificant for consumers to derive any health benefits from the drinks.
The lawsuit, demanding $5,000,000 in damages, states "A consumer would need to drink more than four Poppi sodas in a day to realize any potential health benefits from its prebiotic fiber. 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."
The complaint further alleges that a diet based on inulin could lead to "inflammation and even liver damage" at daily intakes as low as 10 grams. It calls for a jury trial to assess whether Poppi's advertising practices have violated the law.
Since their debut on "Shark Tank" in 2018, Poppi's sodas have become a viral sensation, retailing at $2.49 per can on the manufacturer's website.
The sodas, infused with apple cider vinegar and packaged in vibrant cans, have soared in popularity. According to a Forbes report in March mentioned in the lawsuit, Poppi now holds a 19% market share—over 1.5 times larger than that of Coca-Cola products—and ranks as the 11th fastest-growing beverage brand, outpacing companies such as Gatorade and Liquid Death.
