Washington, D.C.— Beyond Pesticides, a national environmental health organization, represented by the Richard Law Group has filed a lawsuit against Mott’s, specifically its parent company Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, under the District of Columbia's Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The suit claims that Mott’s is misleading its customers by falsely labeling its applesauce products as “natural” despite containing residues of the neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid.

Regulation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture only guarantees that products labeled USDA Organic are free from pesticides and there is no standardized definition for “natural,” but the plaintiffs argue that because consumers seek out products labeled “natural” in an effort to “limit the amount of pesticides they and their families ingest.”

“People are looking for food products that are healthy for their family, children, and the environment, and deceptive ‘natural’ labeling of products grown with pesticides undermines their best intentions,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides in a press release.