Famous protein bar in legal trouble over its calorie count

The viral protein bar that influencers have been touting online, David Protein, is facing a lawsuit for allegedly misrepresenting the fat and calorie content in its bars.

The case claims that the bars pack at least 400% more fat and 80% more calories than stated on their labels.

A lawsuit was filed in January and alleges that independent lab tests show that David bars contain up to 275 calories and 13.5 grams of fat, while packaging claims they have 150 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving. If true, it could be a potential FDA violation in accuracy standards.

The internet has dubbed the legal moment similar to when the bully Regina George character in Mean Girls realizes she has been mistakenly eating weight-gaining bars.

The backlash even prompted the company founder, Peter Rahal, to post on X saying, “No one is getting Regina Georged.”

He argues that the discrepancy stems from a misunderstanding of esterified propoxylated glycerol (EPG), a modified plant-based fat substitute that provides the taste of fat but is largely indigestible, meaning the body does not absorb its calories.

Rahal claims the plaintiffs’ lab used a measuring system that counts all energy in a product, including non-digestible components. In contrast, David Protein labels reflect only what the body actually metabolizes.

The food company also faced controversy recently when its chief science officer, Dr. Peter Attia, resigned amid mounting public backlash over his past emails to Jefferey Epstein.