A consumer class action suit filed in federal court against Campbell's Soup Co. is the latest in a string a lawsuits faced by the corporation, most recently bringing claims of deceptive marketing of its products, including V8 Splash beverages and kettle cooked potato chips.

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Campbell's Soup was hit with the lawsuit April 8 in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, brought by attorneys with Glancy Prongay & Murray. The complaint, filed in Serrano v. Campbell Soup, alleged that V8 Splash beverages are marketed as healthy but are, instead, "sugar-water masquerading as fruit juice."

In recent months, Campbell's has been hit with a surge of federal lawsuits, including at least four cases filed in California, Illinois and Ohio. Of those, two pursued environmental claims under the Clean Water Act in suits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and nonprofit organizations accusing the company of discharging grease, ammonia and other pollutants into Lake Erie from a manufacturing plant in Napoleon, Ohio.

In another case filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California, Hussain v. Campbell Soup, the company is accused of falsely marketing Kettle-branded potato chips as "air fried" when they are actually fried in oil. Yet another suit, Z.W. v. Gerber Products, named Campbell's as a defendant in a suit brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, on behalf of a minor who allegedly developed autism from exposure to lead, arsenic and mercury in baby food sold by a former Campbell's subsidiary, Plum Organics.

The most recent complaint against the company was filed in New Jersey federal court on behalf of plaintiffs Monic Serrano and Debra Shaw, both California residents. The plaintiffs' counsel, Lee Albert, Marc L. Godino and Keven F. Ruf of Glancy Prongay, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Counsel has not yet appeared for the defendant, and a request for comment from Campbell's Soup was not immediately returned.

"These products are marketed to families with children as wholesome, naturally-flavored, healthful fruit-juice beverages for kids," the complaint said. "They are none of those things."

The complaint alleged that rather than wholesome, natural fruit juice beverages, the V8 Splash products are made of water and high fructose corn syrup with artificial flavors to make it taste like fruit juice. It further alleged that none of the products has the federally and state-law mandated labeling disclosing the artificial flavoring.

"Plaintiffs, who purchased the products multiple times and were deceived by defendant's unlawful and misleading labeling and advertising, bring this action on their own behalf and on behalf of those similarly situated, to halt and to remedy defendant's unlawful conduct," the complaint said.

The 10-count complaint alleged violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, the California Unfair Competition Law and the California False Advertising Law. It further alleged breach of express and implied warranties, intentional misrepresentation, fraud by omission and fraud in the inducement.

The lawsuit sought to stop Campbell's from falsely advertising and labeling V8 Splash and to get the company to inform consumers of the product's composition and misbranding. The named plaintiff also sought restitution, actual damages and punitive damages, costs and attorney fees on behalf of themselves and the other class members.