Category: Issue 313
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Pomegranate Juice Dispute Allowed to Proceed
A federal court in California has denied the motion to dismiss filed by Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. in litigation filed by Pom Wonderful LLC alleging that the company’s false advertising for a cranberry-pomegranate juice violates federal and state law and constitutes unfair competition. Pom Wonderful LLC v. Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., No. 09-00565 (C.D. Cal., decided…
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Federal Judge Denies Class Certification in Frozen Waffle Litigation
A federal court in California has denied the request for class certification filed by plaintiffs who allege that Van’s International Foods falsely advertised its frozen waffle products by listing incorrect nutritional information in their labels. Hodes v. Van’s Int’l Foods, No. 09-1530 (C.D. Cal, decided July 23, 2009). While the court found that the claims met…
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Federal Court Dismisses Challenge to Animal ID System
A federal court in the District of Columbia has dismissed claims that the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) violates a number of federal and state laws, including a religious freedom statute and constitutional protections. Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund v. Vilsack, No. 08-1546 (D.D.C., decided July 23, 2009). Dubbed in the press as the “mark of the…
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ANSI Nanotechnology Standards Panel to Meet in Chicago
The Nanotechnology Standards Panel of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) will meet September 9, 2009, in Chicago. The meeting will be held during the Nanobusiness Alliance Conference. The panel has been working to develop nanotechnology-related standards involving nomenclature/terminology; materials properties; and testing, measurement and characterization procedures. ANSI’s efforts are in support of international nanotechnology…
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FDA Committee Plans Meeting to Assess BPA, Discuss Science Upgrades
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Science Board has scheduled an August 17, 2009, public meeting to review the agency’s continuing assessment of the packaging chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in FDA-regulated products and discuss plans to increase research reviews at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CSFAN). See Federal Register, July 28, 2009.
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CDC’s “Weight of the Nation” Conference Addresses Obesity Epidemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hosted a “Weight of the Nation” conference July 27-29, 2009, in Washington, D.C., to explore ways of tackling the nation’s escalating rates of obesity. Treating obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis reportedly costs some $147 billion annually. Speakers at the inaugural event included CDC…
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House Approves Bill Overhauling Food Safety Laws
By a 283-142 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the “Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009” (H.R. 2749). The day before its passage, the measure failed to garner the two-thirds majority vote needed to approve legislation submitted under “suspension of the rules,” which would not have allowed any floor amendments. The second submission,…