A group that sued the company behind David protein bars in January, alleging that the products’ labels misrepresented calorie and fat content, has dropped the case.
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The lawsuit alleged that independent lab tests had revealed the bars — a viral favorite among some wellness influencers — to have 400% more fat and 80% more calories than the products advertised. The claims prompted comparisons on social media to the movie “Mean Girls,” in which the character Regina George finds out that the “healthy” bars she has been eating are actually making her gain weight.
The controversy led David’s founder, Peter Rahal, to address the allegations: “No one is getting Regina Georged,” he wrote on X on March 11.
On Tuesday, after the lawsuit was dismissed, the company said in a statement: “We are pleased this matter has been resolved and look forward to continuing to focus on our customers and our business. We remain confident in the accuracy of our nutrition labeling.”
In response to an inquiry from NBC News, Rahal reiterated: “David is 150 calories.”
Attorneys for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Why they dropped the suit is not known.
At the center of the controversy was an ingredient in David protein bars that the body does not digest, a modified plant-based fat called esterified propoxylated glycerol, or EPG.
“This ingredient allows you to actually put less fat grams on the food label itself, because it yields 92% less calories than a typical gram of fat would,” Amy Goodson, a registered dietitian, told NBC News this month. “It’s resistant to digestive enzymes, so it’s going through your system, but it’s not actually digesting.”
The calorie count listed on David protein bars, Rahal has maintained, is based on a calculation of just the calories the body absorbs.
After the lawsuit was filed, he called it “frivolous” and said the plaintiffs had calculated calories incorrectly.
“Any time you’re on the forefront of innovation, there’s confusion,” Rahal told NBC News this month. “We stand by our product fully.”
