Procter & Gamble is deceiving consumers with high doses of melatonin, as it advertises in some of its popular Vicks Zzzs line of sleeping aids, according to a lawsuit.
The Cincinnati, Ohio-based group is incorrectly labeling products as containing a prescribed amount of melatonin, when in fact some products contain very high amounts of the herbal remedy, “misleading millions of consumers”, according to the suit. Joe is seeking class-action status in federal court in Illinois.
Consumers who consume too much melatonin may suffer from “headaches, dizziness, nausea” and other “unpleasant/unexpected side effects,” the suit states.
The complaint, filed on behalf of Illinois resident Linda Caldarone, claimed the discrepancy came to light after the products were tested in a lab, which found “the exact amount of melatonin was 150% to 164% of the claimed amount.” “
This isn’t the first time the company has been sued over allegations of improper dosage.
In December, a consumer complaint alleged that Vicks Dayquil cough syrup causes drowsiness and contains ingredients that are known to cause drowsiness, despite making contrary claims in its marketing.
The same law firm, Dowell & Lunar, which is representing Calderone, represents DayQuil plaintiff Jacqueline Clay, whose complaint is seeking class-action status in federal court in New York City.
Dowell & Luner also filed suit on behalf of the other plaintiffs, alleging improper dosage of melatonin in June against Ollie Public Benefit Corp. The supplement company’s products contained 165% to 274% more melatonin than the company claimed, as filed in the complaint. Federal Court in Santa Monica, Calif.
Oli did not immediately respond for comment.
According to Calderone’s complaint, “no reasonable consumer would want to buy and ingest a supplement containing a random, unknown amount of melatonin.”
Procter & Gamble did not immediately respond for comment.
