Top 10 Health Food and Drink FAILS

If you want an adult, healthy breakfast to get your day rolling, a lot of folks turn to Kellogg’s Special K cereal. Made from a variety of grains, the flakes taste pretty bland. So, they must be good for us, right? Well, maybe not as healthy as Kellogg’s wants us to believe. In 2016, Special K commercials were banned in the UK for their claims. They stated their flakes were “nutritious” and “full of goodness.” According to the country’s Advertising Standards Authority, the cereal wasn’t backing the words up with specific enough evidence. As such, due to breaching advertising codes, the ads had to be changed.

To separate itself from other drinks on the market by being a prebiotic soda, Poppi went all in on its apparent benefits to health. The idea was that the ingredients promote a healthier gut microbiome, which in turn. So, it’s no surprise Poppi went with the slogan, “Be Gut Happy. Be Gut Healthy.” However, in 2024, Kristin Cobbs disagreed and issued a lawsuit. Cobbs found the beverage has only 2 grams of prebiotic agave inulin fiber. Research indicates upwards of 5 grams per day is needed for better gut health. The suit also pointed out that consuming more cans would cause the sugar intake to outweigh any potential GI perks.

When we were children, we were always jealous of the kids who had Fruit Roll-Ups with lunch. Apparently, not having the snack had its benefits though. In 2011, the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., issued a lawsuit against the brand. The packaging contained images of fruit, and the Roll-Ups were marketed as nutritious and healthy. Yet the CSPI pointed out that the strawberry flavor wasn’t made with real, well, strawberries. One thing you could find among the various ingredients? Pears — from concentrate. The brand's manufacturer, General Mills, opted for a settlement and agreed to make changes on their packaging from 2014 onwards.

We’ve all spent minutes listening to the iconic snap, crackle, and pop as the milk hits the bowl of Rice Krispies, hoping it hasn't gotten too soggy. But beyond the sound, Kellogg’s claimed the cereal could do a lot more — they just couldn’t back it up. In 2009, when Swine Flu was dominating the news, Rice Krispies boxes stated, “Now helps support your child's Immunity.” The “antioxidants and nutrients” were also boasted. After settling with the Federal Trade Commission, in 2011, Kellogg’s paid $2.5 million to consumers and donated $2.5 million worth of product to charity. Around the same time, the cereal brand had to drop the claim that their Frosted Mini-Wheats could help kids’ focus.

Pomegranate juice is known to have some health benefits. But rather than promote the ones science knows about, POM Wonderful decided their version needed to be a lot more dramatic. In 2010, the FTC ordered the brand to stop claiming it could prevent or treat several illnesses, including heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction, and even “cheat death.” Yikes. Brand co-founder Stewart Resnick has seemingly attributed his successful cancer battle — at least partly — to the fruit and drink. However, the company’s appeal against the ruling was thrown out, with the US Supreme Court even refusing to entertain it. As a result, POM Wonderful was ordered to no longer make such statements in their commercials.

In 2024, influencers KSI, Logan Paul, and Mr. Beast teamed up to release a competitor to Lunchables with Lunchly. The trio immediately promoted their product as being healthier than their rivals, pointing at lower sugar content, fewer calories, and natural ingredients. However, nutritionists were alarmed by the high sodium content and generally disregarded claims the item is good for people. But the biggest fall from grace for Lunchly was when people saw an unexpected guest…mold. Rosanna Pansino created a video that highlighted this issue, as bacteria had infested the cheese in the pack. It’s been speculated that the glue is inadequate or that preservatives weren’t included. Either way, not very healthy.

With a saucy name like Naked Juice, you’d expect nothing but the goodness of fruits. The bottle leaned into this perception by stating it was 100% fruit juice and completely natural — nothing artificial, and non-GMO. However, in 2012, a lawsuit was issued that contested these claims. It stated Naked Juice contained several synthetic vitamins, and criticized various other claims. In 2013, PepsiCo, who owned the brand at the time, settled the case for $9 million. If a customer had bought Naked Juice between 2007 and 2013, they could claim up to $75. To make it more shameful, the product was no longer allowed to claim it was, well, “All Natural.”

It’s been around since 1963 in the US. But in the 1990s, Sunny Delight, as it was known then, began a hugely successful campaign in the UK. After spending millions, they achieved the mighty task of being the region’s third-best-selling soft drink. It was marketed as a healthy orange juice, so many parents were probably happier to fold to their kids’ demands for SunnyD than its fizzy competitors. However, authorities began criticizing the drink for only containing 5% fruit juice, severely damaging its healthy image. This disaster was made worse when it emerged in 1999 that a child’s skin became orange after consuming large amounts of it due to the beta-carotene colorant.

With a name like Vitaminwater and a label resembling a medical prescription, the Coca-Cola Company really wanted us to believe this beverage was healthy. After being warned about its marketing methods, the CSPI filed a lawsuit against Vitaminwater in 2009. It took aim at the product’s various claims, including that it reduces the risk of chronic and eye diseases, and called out the dishonesty considering it contains roughly 33 g of sugar per bottle. In 2015, Coca-Cola settled by agreeing to change its marketing over the next two years, on top of paying $2.73 million in expenses. Also, in 2011, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority banned Vitaminwater from calling itself “nutritious” in commercials due to all the sugar it contains.

For years, Subway positioned itself as a healthy fast-food company. With its “Eat Fresh” slogan and later-disgraced spokesperson Jared Fogle, who famously lost weight partly attributed to a Subway diet, it seemed too good to be true. Well, it was. Many of us remember the yoga mat ingredient fiasco, but that’s not the only time there’s been trouble. In 2020, the Ireland’s Supreme Court of Ireland declared that the bread used by the chain isn’t really bread. The reason? You’ve probably guessed, but a lot of sugar — 10% of the weight of the flour being sugar, in fact. Because of this, Ireland deemed it cake, which isn’t known for being too healthy.

If you want to make a healthy comfort meal, what’s your go-to dish? A protein-rich salad? A hearty vegetable stew? Fish fajitas? Or something else? Let us know below!