Welcome to our monthly digest of litigation and regulatory highlights impacting the food and beverage industry. As it has been for many months, the story was mostly about what’s going on in the food court. Let’s take a look….
Vanilla, vanilla, and more vanilla….The plaintiff’s bar remains skeptical of any product labeled as vanilla.
Last month, a California court, for a second time, dismissed a class action complaint asserting that Ghirardelli’s advertising for its “Classic White” “Premium Baking Chips” created the false impression that the product contained real chocolate—this time with prejudice. Plaintiffs in Cheslow v. Ghirardelli Chocolate Co., Case No. 19-cv-07467-PJH, alleged that they purchased Ghirardelli’s product
Find the replay of our webinar Cleaning Up From 2020: Guidance for Disinfectant, Germ and Virus Killing Claims here.
COVID-19 has brought a proliferation of products claiming to kill or otherwise inhibit viruses, bacteria and other germs. These products, before they can be legally sold, are heavily regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A federal judge in Florida recently dismissed a false advertising case against Tyson Fresh Meats and The Fresh Market challenging the use of the word “prime” to describe Tyson’s “Chairman’s Reserve Prime Pork.” Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that the defendants “misrepresented that the USDA had graded their product as prime,” but notably did not allege
On July 13, consumers filed a class action complaint in California federal court against Bigelow Tea, alleging the company falsely and deceptively represented that its tea products were made in the United States. Plaintiffs claim that the tea manufacturer advertised that its tea products were “Manufactured in the USA 100% American Family Owned” and “America’s
A California federal judge has dismissed a putative class action against Kellogg for failing to back up the plaintiff’s theory that Kellogg’s Bear Naked Granola V’nilla Almond does not include vanilla flavoring derived exclusively from vanilla beans.
The plaintiff challenged the labeling of Bear Naked Granola V’nilla Almond as deceptive, claiming that the product’s labeling
On June 15, the Eastern District of California, Judge Morrison J. England, granted CBD retailer Global Widget, LLC’s (“Global Widget”) request to stay the case of Glass v. Global Widget LLC, Case No. 2:19-cv-01906 (E.D. Cal.) until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) completes its rulemaking regarding the marketing and labelling of CBD
Earlier this week, federal regulators continued their efforts to combat the spread of products featuring allegedly false and misleading claims that products can diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent COVID-19. In warning letters issued to CBD Gaze, Alternavita, Musthavemom.com, and Careful Cents LLC, the agencies identify the respective recipients as participants in
As business people, airport management, and event hosts everywhere try to figure out how they can return to business as usual, many are considering telethermographic device systems. These are cameras that can detect human temperature in comparison to their surroundings to help identify fevers. Reuters reported last week that Amazon implemented thermal cameras at its
Lawsuits challenging the advertising and labeling of sugar content – and corresponding representations that a food product may be healthy or wholesome – have become ubiquitous in the class action world. Yet, a growing number of courts are rejecting such claims when the product’s nutritional label accurately reflects the correct sugar amount in a manner
