A class action lawsuit accuses the makers of Real Ketones dietary supplements of misleading customers by including synthetic ingredients in their diet supplement products.
Lead plaintiff Brandon Faye purchased the watermelon, black cherry, and raspberry lemonade flavored products from Amazon.com, says the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The package labels state that the products are "naturally flavored," the suit says.
"These natural flavoring claims are false," the suit states. "The products are flavored using an artificial flavoring, DL malic acid, that is derived from petrochemicals."
While malic acid is naturally occurring, "it is extremely expensive to formulate in large quantities and is almost never used in mass-produced food products," says the lawsuit.
In contrast, DL malic acid "is manufactured in petrochemical plants from benzene or butane — components of gasoline and lighter fluid, respectively —through a series of chemical reactions, some of which involve highly toxic chemical precursors and byproducts," the lawsuit states. "Federal regulations note explicitly that '“DL-malic acid does not occur naturally.'"
The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages plus legal fees and an injunction barring the company " from continuing the unlawful practices as set forth herein."
The plaintiffs are represented by Charles Weller, of Charles Weller APC.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, case number 2:23-CV-08695.