Man Says Yoo-hoo's 'Good For You' Promise Is False Advertising

A Brooklyn man is suing the makers of Yoo-hoo, the weird chocolate-flavored drink that’s been around for 90 years, over their claims that the drink is as healthy as it is delicious. Although actually, if the company would change its description to “as healthy as it is delicious,” they’d probably be able to avoid all lawsuits: “Look, we told you it wasn’t healthy.”

The plaintiff says Yoo-hoo has tried to position itself as a good-for-you drink, just like pretty much every other beverage in the marketplace these days. Here’s what the Dr. Pepper company has on Yoo-hoo’s “About” page:

Not only is this drink chock-full of rich, chocolatey goodness it’s got five vitamins and two minerals and is 99% fat and caffeine free! Good AND good for you? What more could a choco-freak ask for?

Here’s the actual ingredient list:

Ingredients: Water, dairy whey, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, non-fat milk, cornsyrup solids, cocoa processed with potassium carbonate, soybean oil (partially hydrogenated), sodium caseinate, salt, tricalcium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, xanthan gum, guar gum, mono and di glycerides, vanillan, lecithin, calcium ascorbate, natural flavor, vitamin A palmitate, niacinamide, vitamin D, riboflavin.

Correction: Initially, an “m” was missing from the ingredients list so that it read, “non-fat ilk.” I sort of regret the error.

“One Man’s Battle Against Yoo-Hoo: It’s Not ‘Good for You'” [AOL News]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.