Ora Organic Lawsuit: Are "Daily Superfood" Protein Claims Accurate?

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit alleges Vital Amine (maker of Ora Organic Daily Superfood Protein) misrepresents the digestible protein content in its supplements, claiming they use incomplete plant proteins despite a "23g PROTEIN" label.

Consumers Affected: U.S. consumers who purchased Vital Amine's Ora Organic Daily Superfood protein supplements during the applicable limitations period.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

When Los Angeles consumer Camilla Blackett paid nearly $50 for Ora Organic Daily Superfood supplements, she thought she was getting 23 grams of high-quality protein per serving.

Instead, she got a blend of incomplete plant proteins that her body can't fully use, according to a new class action lawsuit filed against supplement maker Vital Amine.

The lawsuit claims the company's "23g PROTEIN" label creates a false impression about how much nutrition customers actually receive from each serving.

Blackett filed the class action complaint against Vital Amine in federal court, alleging the company's labeling violates consumer protection laws by misrepresenting protein quality and quantity in its supplements.

Lawsuit Alleges Incomplete Protein Sources Used

Blackett alleges the Ora Organic supplements contain only incomplete protein sources including peas, sacha inchi, rice, amaranth, and quinoa—ingredients that individually lack complete amino acid profiles.

Unlike complete proteins such as whey, beef, or whole soy, these plant-based ingredients don't contain all essential amino acids in proper ratios, the lawsuit states.

According to Blackett, this isn't just a technical nutritional detail.

The combination means consumers aren't receiving the full 23 grams of protein their bodies can actually use, despite what the front-of-package labeling suggests.

"Defendant's Products are comprised of vegan protein sources that do not provide the same nutritional benefits as whey protein," the lawsuit states.

Missing FDA Requirements Leave Consumers Uninformed

The plaintiff says federal regulations require companies to display adjusted protein values when total protein differs from usable protein amounts.

Blackett argues that FDA rules mandate showing "Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score" (PDCAAS) percentages on nutrition panels when incomplete proteins are used.

The lawsuit alleges that while peas and rice could theoretically combine into complete protein profiles, Ora Organic supplements don't contain proper ratios to accomplish this.

Because the products lack complete amino acid profiles, they can't achieve 100% PDCAAS scores, yet no adjusted percentage appears on the nutrition facts panel, the lawsuit claims.

"Despite lacking the complete amino acid profile necessary for a 100% PDCAAS score, there is no percent daily value statement expressing this in the nutrition facts panel," according to the complaint.

Deceptive Marketing Targets Protein-Conscious Consumers

Blackett purchased chocolate-flavored Ora Organic Daily Superfood from Amazon for approximately $49.99 in January 2024, relying on the "23g PROTEIN" claim displayed prominently on packaging.

The plaintiff says she believed the supplement would provide the stated protein amount in a form her body could fully utilize to meet her dietary protein requirements.

According to the lawsuit, Vital Amine knows protein content claims influence consumer purchasing decisions and deliberately uses misleading representations to drive sales.

The company "misleads consumers into believing that the Products provide more protein than they actually do," the complaint alleges.

Protein Quality vs. Quantity Creates Consumer Confusion

Average consumers typically don't understand the difference between total protein content and usable protein amounts, making them vulnerable to misleading claims, the lawsuit argues.

Blackett contends that shoppers trust manufacturers' protein claims without realizing complex calculations determine how much their bodies can actually absorb and use.

The lawsuit alleges this knowledge gap allows companies to advertise impressive-sounding protein numbers while delivering less nutritional value than consumers expect.

Without proper PDCAAS disclosure, customers can't make informed comparisons between different protein supplements, according to the complaint.

Supplement Industry Faces Wave of Labeling Lawsuits

Other supplement companies are defending similar cases over allegedly misleading nutritional claims.

Nutriflair recently got hit with a class action lawsuit claiming its berberine supplements contain far less of the active ingredient than advertised on packaging.

Force Factor faces litigation over melatonin dosage representations, while Costco defends against allegations that Kirkland Signature fish oil supplements overstated heart-health benefits.

In the Ora Organic lawsuit, Blackett wants to represent all U.S. consumers who purchased Vital Amine's Ora Organic Daily Superfood protein supplements during the applicable limitations period. She says if she'd known the true usable protein content, she wouldn't have bought the supplements or would have paid less for them.

Additionally, Blackett’s lawsuit requests that courts force Vital Amine to correct its labeling practices and provide accurate protein information to consumers.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Camilla Blackett v. Vital Amine, Inc.
• Case Number: 2:25-cv-05217
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Plaintiffs' Attorney:

• Adrian Gucovschi and Nathaneil Haim Sair (Gucovschi Rozenshteyn, PLLC.)

Do you use plant-based protein supplements? Share your thoughts on accurate protein labeling below.