Category: Issue 370
-
Poultry-Import and COOL Disputes on WTO Calendar
The United States has reportedly decided not to file an appeal from a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that its ban on Chinese poultry imports, imposed in 2004 upon fears of an avian flu outbreak, was illegal. According to a news source, this ends the trade dispute. While the legislative ban expired within five years,…
-
Public Interest Group Seeks White House Documents on Scientific Integrity Policies
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has filed a complaint in federal court under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), seeking documents from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) related to the development of policies to protect scientific integrity in federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the…
-
Baltimore Officials Issue Citation for Repeat Trans Fat Ban Violations
The Baltimore City Health Department has reportedly issued its first environmental citation for repeat violations of the city’s trans fat ban. According to an October 25, 2010, press release, the department fined Healthy Choice $100 after inspectors twice found the Lexington Market food vendor using “a margarine product with trans fat levels in excess of…
-
Putative Class Alleges Breyers “All Natural” Ice Cream Contains Non-Natural Cocoa
A California resident has filed a putative class action against the company that owns the Breyers ice cream brand, alleging violations of consumer protection laws because its 23 chocolate-flavored products are labeled “All Natural” but also contain cocoa processed with alkali. Denmon-Clark v. Conopco, Inc., No. 10-7898 (C.D. Cal., filed October 20, 2010). According to the complaint,…
-
Challenge to California’s Referendum Procedure Presented in Amicus Brief
According to a news source, an appellate lawyer in California has submitted an amicus brief to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, claiming that the state’s ballot initiative process, adopted 99 years ago, was improperly voted into law. He has asked the court to certify the question to the California Supreme Court. This issue arose…
-
Pelman v. McDonald’s Corp.: No Class Certification for Obese Teens
A judge from the U.S. Court of International Trade, sitting by designation in a New York federal district court, has determined that the obesity-related claims filed in 2002 against McDonald’s Corp. cannot be pursued as a class action. Pelman v. McDonald’s Corp., No. 02-7821 (S.D.N.Y., decided October 27, 2010). Essentially, the court found that individual…
-
Washington State AG Continues Campaign to Ban Alcoholic Energy Drinks
Washington State Attorney General Robert McKenna has issued an October 25, 2010, letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, alleging that a recent incident involving alcoholic energy drinks (AEDs) sent nine college students to emergency rooms with alcohol poisoning. According to the letter, “Once at the hospital, medical staff found the blood-alcohol…
-
EC Opens Public Consultation on Nanomaterial Definition
The European Commission (EC) has solicited feedback on its proposed definition of the term “nanomaterial.” In response to a European Parliament request, the EC’s draft recommendation recognizes the need for a definition “at the global level, to serve as a basis also for EU regulation and implementing measures and instruments.” The proposal defines a nanomaterial…