Class action litigation over consumer product claims continues
to rise, and no product is safe, whether food, dietary supplement,
or cosmetic. Those manufacturers looking to distinguish their
products through the use of the terms "natural" or
"all-natural" have done so at the risk of drawing
attention from the plaintiff's bar and consumer groups. In
August 2014, a class action lawsuit, Paulino et al v. Conopco
Inc., was filed in the Eastern District of New York, alleging
that Conopco, doing business as Unilever, misled consumers when it
marketed a line of its personal care products (including shampoos,
conditioners, body washes, and lotions) under the product name
"Suave NATURALS." Plaintiffs allege that the
representation of "NATURALS" on the packaging of these
products is misleading because the products contain unnatural and
synthetic ingredients.
