A Montreal lawyer is spearheading a class-action lawsuit against the Canadian makers of Canada Dry ginger ale, accusing the beverage maker of false advertising.
At issue are the words 'made from real ginger' — in both languages — found on cans and bottles of Canada Dry ginger ale sold in this country.
Lawyer Joey Zukran says that's a flat-out lie, and consumers deserve to be compensated for being misled.
"All you really have to do is look on the back on the can...and you won't see the mention of ginger," Zukran told CJAD 800. "You see a lot of other things, but not ginger. The only mention you see of the product containing real ginger is on the front of the can, which is what the consumers see when they're in a grocery store or a gas station."
Zukran also insists no other brand of ginger ale makes the 'real ginger' claim.
Zukran was apparently contacted last week by a consumer who learned of a similar class-action suit in the U.S. over the same dubious claim. In that case, consumers who had purchased the product were compensated up to $40 per household, if they had the right proofs of purchase.
The U.S. company also withdrew the 'real ginger' claim, and it no longer appears on its products.
Lawyers for the American plaintiffs estimated that while there may have been actual ginger in the product, it was negligible — just two parts per million, which the lawyers said doesn't justify any suggestion that the product had any health benefits beyond other ginger ale brands, or any soft drink brands, for that matter.
Zukran, meantime, is seeking unspecified compensation for Canadian consumers, plus $15 million in punitive damages.