The AP (7/19) reports US Magistrate Judge Robert Levy ruled yesterday in New York that a lawsuit that accuses Vitaminwater drinks of misleading claims can move ahead as a class-action lawsuit. Lawyers for the “health-advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest and consumers from several states have accused Coca-Cola Co. of using deceptive labeling on Vitaminwater beverages, including claims that they reduce risks of disease and boost the immune system.” Judge Levy said the plaintiffs may seek “injunctive relief, which would prevent Coca-Cola from making certain claims for the product.”

Reuters (7/19, Stempel) reports other plaintiffs in the 4-1/2-year-old lawsuit include California and New York residents. Part of Levy’s ruling means that consumers are unable to sue for monetary damages as part of the class-action lawsuit.