I first became aware of soda brand Poppi from seeing their commercials. Was I lured in by the bright colors and flashy graphics? Like a cat with a shiny toy. Then two lines leapt out at me: “Soda’s back!” and “This will be the last moment you’ll ever think of soda as being a dirty word.” Um, excuse me?! Soda can’t be “back” because it never went away in my life, and how dare you suggest that I think of it as a dirty little secret! Needless to say, I didn’t jive with their basic premise. Well, now Poppi is facing a class-action lawsuit from a disgruntled consumer. (And no, it’s not for defamation against soda’s fine name.) A Ms. Kristin Cobbs filed a fraud case in California, saying that Poppi “committed acts of false and misleading advertising.” How did they do this? By positioning themselves as a “healthy soda,” when in fact their product does not “provide meaningful prebiotic effects.” Ha — who’s the dirty word now, Poppi?!
Popping Poppi’s prebiotic pledge: Poppi bills itself as a “better for you” soda alternative, containing 5g sugar, apple cider vinegar, and has 25 calories or less. The soda can says “prebiotic,” and much of its marketing centers around the inclusion of prebiotics that are purported to promote gut health. However, a class-action consumer fraud lawsuit filed in a California court Friday by plaintiff Kristin Cobbs claims “Poppi soda only contains two grams of prebiotic fiber, an amount too low to cause meaningful gut health benefits for the consumer from just one can.” The suit continues that “a consumer would need to drink more than four Poppi sodas in a day to realize any potential health benefits from its prebiotic fiber.” The high sugar content of four sodas a day, the lawsuit alleges, “would offset most, if not all, of these purported gut health benefits.”
The brand’s rebuttal: A spokesperson for Poppi tells PEOPLE, “We are proud of the Poppi brand and stand behind our products. We are on a mission to revolutionize soda for the next generation of soda drinkers, and we have diligently innovated to provide a tasting experience that millions of people have come to enjoy. We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we will vigorously defend against these allegations.”
Wait, now they’re claiming prebiotics are bad for you? The lawsuit alleges that the specific type of prebiotic used in Poppi, the dietary fiber agave inulin, “can lead to adverse health results. Studies show that taking as little as 2.5 grams of prebiotic supplements, including agave inulin, can lead to a build-up of gas, causing abdominal discomfort.” The lawsuit cites another study that it says “found that an inulin based diet can lead to inflammation and even liver damage at doses as small as 10 to 30 grams per day over a 3-week period.”
The price of pop: Poppi is the best-selling soft drink on Amazon, Inc. reported, which added that their annual revenue may have topped $100 million. A 12-pack of soda, purchased on Poppi’s website, is nearly $30. And as the lawsuit says, “Ms. Cobbs paid a substantial price premium due to Defendant’s false and misleading claims regarding the Products’ purported health benefits. 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.’ Likewise, Ms. Cobbs was unaware that excessive consumption of the Products could negatively impact her health.”
Ok look, I may have ribbed Poppi for besmirching the name of my good friend and frequent companion, soda. But even I admit (however begrudgingly) that being healthy is a good thing and it’s admirable that Poppi wants to offer a satisfying yet less sugary/caloric option. And in all likelihood the arteries in my body are begging, pleading with their last gasps of breath for me to give them a friggin’ break. That being said, I never thought of Poppi as being a “health drink,” so much as a soft drink alternative not as egregiously bad for you as your cokes, root beers, or cream sodas. If I wanted to add prebiotics into my diet, I wouldn’t grab a Poppi, is what I’m saying. (I also wouldn’t grab one if I had a real hankering for a soda, but you already knew that.)
Furthermore, I think that the language Poppi uses on their website is just vague enough to protect them in a court of law. They say the prebiotic may support gut health. And they don’t explicitly call themselves a healthy soda, but a “better one” in comparison to those with “empty calories and excess sugar.” Ms. Cobbs’ zeroing in on the prebiotic quotient may end up being her case’s undoing. On the price front, though, she has them dead to rights: a 12 pack of Poppi’s Classic Cola flavor costs $24, whereas Coca Cola brand will run you $8.26 at Walmart. Sorry to burst your bubble, Poppi.
It has vinegar in it? That really doesn’t sound good.
It says apple cider vinegar which is said to have health benefits. Some people swear by drinking a glass of lukewarm water with a spoonful of apple cider vinegar in it first thing in the morning, supposed to be good for the gut, wake up you, whatever. I tried it a couple of times and returned to my routine of a cup of coffee in silence before the kiddos wake up, I´m sure Kismet can relate.
Trader Joes sells apple cider vinegar sodas that are really good. The strawberry lemon one is my favorite. The vinegar just gives it a little bite and isn’t overpowering at all.
I neither drink soda/pop, nor do I live in the States, so I don’t care much about Poppi.
This though: “The lawsuit cites another study that it says “found that an inulin based diet can lead to inflammation and even liver damage at doses as small as 10 to 30 grams per day over a 3-week period.”” I have no idea what an inulin-based diet fricking is. I do know since Covid that Bifido bacteria are important for health and they like inulin foods. In my case this means eating garlic and onions (or leek/ shallot/ chives/ etc) daily. Sometimes asparagus, bananas and chicory. In other words, eat foods containing inulin for your health, if necessary build up slowly to avoid digestive discomfort and don’t expect health in a soda/ pop can.
I hope MyGirl’s paw is okay!
My partner grabbed two cans of this for me, as I wanted to try the Ollipop but it’s very hard to find in Canada. He thought it was similar. I have only tried one and it was HORRIBLE. I think it was supposed to be their version of Dr. Pepper but it tasted like someone that had never tasted a Dr. Pepper might think it tastes like. I will just stick to my regular diet soda, thanks.
Edited to say – it was also something like $3 a can.
Same here – yuk, I bought two cans of it last year and one is still sitting in my refrigerator. Not a fan (but I too love the packaging!)
The only one of these types of drinks that I’ve ever really liked was Thirsty Buddha brand root beer. It really did taste like root beer, as long as it was cold (it had stevia in it, and I can only drink stevia beverages when they’re ice cold.) I never really cared much about any supposed gut benefits, it just tasted good!
I don’t know anything about Poppi and good luck to that lady, but I loved the tone of this story! Well done Kismet!
This stuff is overpriced and tastes terrible imo. I won’t be sad if it goes away but I guess there are some folks who enjoy it. But if they have to stop the “health” claims I can’t imagine anyone wanting to drink this purely for pleasure.
Yeah I got one from a restaurant because I had wanted to try it but didn’t want to buy a whole pack, the strawberry lemonade one, and it was not good.
Thanks for the story! I’m deep in the research stage of finding seltzers I want to drink instead of wine/beer. Right now, I have like 12 packs of various Waterloo, Bubly, and Pellegrino waters in my house to try to find my favorites. I saw a lot of this Poppi at Kroger yesterday but luckily didn’t buy it!
Recommendation for Spindrift, they are my favorite bubbly waters.
Second the Spindrift, and also recommend Sanzo, they have fun flavors like lychee and calamansi.
If you are near a Trader Joe’s then their sparkling water is pretty good. In fact it’s hard to believe it’s zero calories, lol.
Polar seltzer is by far the best (although not available everywhere) and has the most interesting flavors. I get so excited to try their seasonal flavors that change every season and every year.
I like Bubbly, LaCroix and Spindrift, but it really is flavor dependent. LaCroix has one – and I can’t remember which now, but its either margarita flavored or mojito flavored – and it was one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever tried, lol. Like I took two sips and threw the can away.
I’ve also been experimenting with some of the non/alcoholic seltzers or drinks with “Adaptogens” and I really liked Recess’s flavors. Recently I’ve tried De Soi and those are good but $$.
For those of us that have to watch our sugar intake and can’t have caffeine these “sodas” are a good alternative. I like the cherry lime flavor. I have two in my fridge right now, the lawsuit is a solid – meh for me.
I like the cherry lime and the grape so these hit the spot on the rare occasion I crave soda.
That said, I’m dying at “… Studies show that taking as little as 2.5 grams of prebiotic supplements, including agave inulin, can lead to a build-up of gas, causing abdominal discomfort.” Carbonated beverages are known to cause gas and I’m pretty sure if you’re burping up a storm after downing soda, it because you drank soda not because you’ve had too much inulin.
I know you all hate it when I come on this site and tell you that this wellness stuff is bogus. Prebiotics/probiotics are basically wellness supplements. They are not regulated and they do not fix a leaky gut (no such thing) or increase gut health (no such thing).
The reason they say “may” is because they know they do not work in such a way. If they did or if there were studies that said they did, the company would use that information to market the *hit out of the product (pardon the pun).
Please stop looking to “pop” manufacturers to provide you with medical information. The only thing they are trying to do is make money, and it sounds like they are very good at doing that.
On the contrary, I don’t hate it at all – I appreciate your commitment to combating misinformation. There’s a difference between eating fermented foods and just lobbing unregulated supplements with pretty packaging into your body. Too many folks are grifting off of our attempts at health.
(Admittedly anecdotally) I rely on probiotics to avoid constipation, and in my opinion the probiotics are responsible for helping me stay regular.
But also, I’m looking at a Harvard Medical School webpage right now that says:
“The latest research shows that probiotics may offer benefits against a range of health conditions, including allergies, arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, heart disease, and gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Probiotics may even help with weight loss! With this Harvard Medical School Guide, you’ll discover which probiotics are right for your health needs. Benefits of Probiotic Foods includes a helpful list of foods naturally loaded with probiotics, and easy recipes to boost your probiotic intake.
“Prepared by the editors of Harvard Health Publishing in consultation with Alessio Fasano, M.D., and W. Allan Walker Professor of Pdeiatrics, Harvard Medical School, Professor of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Chief, Division of Pediatric Gastroenerology and Nutrition, and Vice Chair of Research, Mass General for Children and Director, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Reserch Center, and Center for Celiac Research and Treatment. (2024)”
I think I can probably take the Harvard experts’ word for it.
This may be an ongoing field of research but to conclude probiotics are “bogus” is too hasty.
Poppi hit Tik Tok ads hard. I think every other swipe had a Poppi advertisement.
Glad they are being checked on unethical actions. You can’t claim these things like it is healthy for you when it is not exactly. Just like they used to have ‘Doctors’ claim that cigarettes were good for you back in the day.