Coke Must Defend Consumer Deception Claims in Sugary Soda Suit

Coca-Cola Co. must defend claims that it deceives consumers about the health effects of sugar-sweetened sodas, a Washington, D.C., court ruled.

The Praxis Project, an advocacy group that promotes public health, and two African-American pastors alleged Coke’s branding and advertising misled consumers about the health consequences of drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, in violation of the District of Columbia’s consumer protection law.

Coke deceived consumers about the consequences of drinking sugar-sweetened beverages routinely, the character of the calories in sugar-sweetened beverages, and the drinks’ purported value as healthful sources of hydration for most consumers, they alleged.

The District of Columbia Superior Court ...