OCA Alleges Twinings Misleads with “Pure” Claims

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) has alleged that Twinings North America Inc. misleads consumers by representing its tea products as “pure” and “natural” despite containing traces of pesticides. Organic Consumers Ass’n v. Twinings N. Am. Inc., No. 2019 CA 4412 (D.C. Super. Ct., filed July 5, 2019). The advocacy group alleges that “[t]ests conducted by an independent laboratory using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry revealed the presence of thiacloprid in the Green Tea at levels of up to 0.156 milligrams per kilogram” and argues that Twinings knowingly misrepresents its products as “pure” to appeal to consumers looking for pesticide-free products. For an alleged violation of the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act, OCA seeks an injunction, costs and attorney’s fees.