A recent class-action lawsuit alleges that David Protein misrepresented the calorie and fat contents in its popular protein bars, a challenge for a company known for catering to health-conscious customers.
In the complaint, filed Jan. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, three individuals who had bought David bars claim they contain “way more” calories and fat than the labels state. Independent and third-party testing, using a method known as the Atwater factors, determined that the number of calories exceeded the amount listed on the label by as much as 83%, the lawsuit claims.
The plaintiffs also allege that David Protein underestimated the fat content of its bars, with testing revealing that the fat content exceeds the label’s stated amount by as much as 400%.
David Protein’s website and product labels say the bars contain 150 calories, 28 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar.
The lawsuit cites Food and Drug Administration guidelines, which dictate that a product is misbranded if the “nutrient content of the composite is greater than 20% in excess of the value for that nutrient declared on the label.”
The lawsuit lists Linus Technologies as the main defendant, a nutrition-focused company founded by entrepreneur Peter Rahal in 2023, according to market-intelligence platform Tracxn. Linus Technologies operates its business under the brand name David Protein.
Linus Technologies and David Protein did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, the company posted a statement on Instagram that read, “No one is getting Regina Georged,” a reference to the movie “Mean Girls” in which the protagonist Cady Heron dupes bully Regina George into eating a protein bar that causes weight gain.
After the lawsuit was filed in January, Rahal told Vanity Fair that the company “stands behind the accuracy of our product labeling” and that it plans to “defend this claim vigorously.”
The David bar came to market in 2024. The name is a nod to Michelangelo’s 16th-century masterpiece, according to Forbes.
The bars come in a variety of flavors, such as chocolate chip cookie and fudge brownie, and retail for $39 for a pack of 12, or $3.25 a bar.
