Category: Issue 421
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Animal Study Explores Behavioral Changes Linked to Early BPA Exposure
A recent study has allegedly concurred with theories suggesting that newborn mice exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) exhibit signs of behavioral changes as adults. Henrik Viberg, et al., “Dose-dependent behavioral disturbances after a single neonatal Bisphenol A dose,” Toxicology, December 2011. After administering a single dose of BPA to three groups of 10-day-old male mice, researchers…
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New Book on Olive Oil Industry Presses for Change
According to a December 7, 2011, New York Times book review, a new tome by freelance writer Tom Mueller has claimed that 50 percent of the olive oil sold in America “is, to some degree, fraudulent.” Based on an August 13, 2007, New Yorker article, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil apparently…
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Obese Child Placed in Foster Care Ordered into Uncle’s Custody
A Cleveland judge has reportedly decided that an obese third grader who was removed from his mother’s custody after she was apparently unable to control his weight can now be removed from foster care. County child welfare officials had convinced the court in October 2011 that the 218-pound child was in imminent danger; they had…
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Pew Report Questions Seafood Eco-Labels
A recent report funded by the Pew Environment Group has suggested that many seafood products bearing eco-labels are “not much better than conventional farmed seafood options when it comes to protecting the ocean environment.” Titled “How Green is Your Eco-label? A Comparison of the Environmental Benefits of Marine Aquaculture Standards,” the study evidently relied on…
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Anti-Tobacco Law Professor Claims Credit for Food Litigation Explosion
George Washington University Law Professor John Banzhaf has issued a press release highlighting recent action the Food and Drug Administration took against a food company that purportedly misbrands one of its products by declaring it “All Natural” while making the product with a synthetic chemical preservative ingredient. According to Banzhaf, the agency’s warning letter is…
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“All Natural” Chips and Snacks Challenged for Containing GE Ingredients
A California resident who claims economic injury from purchasing Frito-Lay snack and chip products advertised as “All Natural” while allegedly containing genetically engineered (GE) corn and vegetable oil seeks to certify a nationwide class in a consumer fraud action filed in a California federal court. Gengo v. Frito-Lay N. Am., Inc., No. 11-10322 (C.D. Cal.,…
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Putative Class Alleges Walgreens Beverages Contain High Levels of Lead and Arsenic
A California resident is seeking to certify a nationwide class in a lawsuit alleging that Walgreens Co. 100% Grape Juice and 100% Apple Juice contain “dangerously high levels” of lead and arsenic. Boysen v. Walgreen Co., No. 11-6262 (N.D. Cal., filed December 13, 2011). According to the complaint, the levels of lead and arsenic in…
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Jurisdictional Discovery to Proceed in Deceptive Trade Suit Against OJ Maker
A federal court in Alabama has granted in part a motion to stay discovery in litigation alleging that an orange juice maker misrepresented that its product is not made from juice concentrate, but is rather “100% pure Florida squeezed.” Leftwich v. TWS Mktg. Group, Inc., No. 11-1879 (N.D. Ala., order entered December 12, 2011). The…