Category: Issue 521
-
Caffeine Keeps Employees Ethical, Study Says
A recent study has found that sleep deprivation can lead to unethical behavior, but caffeine can counteract the effect. David T. Welsh, et al., “Building a Self-Regulatory Model of Sleep Deprivation and Deception: The Role of Caffeine and Social Influence,” Journal of Applied Psychology, March 2014. Researchers kept volunteers awake overnight then gave half of…
-
Pomegranate Juice Allegedly Linked to Heightened Neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s Disease
University of Pittsburgh and Purdue University researchers have purportedly found that pomegranate juice (PJ) heightened neurodegeneration in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease (PD) by increasing nigrostriatal terminal depletion, dopamine neuron loss, the inflammatory response, and caspase activation. Victor Tapias, et al., “Pomegranate Juice Exacerbates Oxidative Stress and Nigrostriatal Degeneration in Parkinson’s Disease,” Neurobiology of Aging,…
-
Powdered Alcohol Garners Media Interest
After the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) reportedly granted and then rescinded labeling approval for a powdered alcohol product created by Lipsmark LLC, the company has fielded a number of consumer and media questions about Palcohol’s® marketing, safety and availability. Created by wine critic Mark Phillips, Palcohol® is described as “a…
-
Pasta Maker to Settle Product Labeling Claims for $7.9 Million
To settle claims that it allegedly deceived consumers by advertising and labeling its Dreamfields pasta products as a low-glycemic index and low-carbohydrate alternative to traditional pasta, Dakota Growers Pasta Co. has agreed to establish a $5-million settlement fund and pay an additional $2.9 million to plaintiffs’ counsel. Mirakay v. Dakota Growers Pasta Co., No. 13-4429…
-
Former Employees File Putative Class Action Against T.G.I. Friday’s for Labor Law Violations
Four former employees of T.G.I. Friday’s, Inc. have filed a putative class action against the restaurant and its parent company, Carlson Restaurants, Inc., to recover unpaid wages, including overtime compensation and unlawful deductions. Flood v. Carlson Restaurants Inc., No. 14-2740 (S.D.N.Y., filed April 17, 2014). The former employees claim that T.G.I. Friday’s managers required them…
-
Court Denies Motion to Sever Charges Against Stewart Parnell
A federal court in Georgia has denied a motion to sever the criminal charges filed against the former owner of the Peanut Corp. of America, linked to a 2009 nationwide Salmonella outbreak, from charges filed against other company employees. United States v. Parnell, No. 13-cr-12 (M.D. Ga., order entered April 24, 2014). Information about a…
-
Court Allows Obesity-Related Claims to Proceed
A federal court in Missouri has determined that a man who alleges employment discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on the basis of his severe obesity has sufficiently stated his claims and may proceed with his action. Whittaker v. America’s Car-Mart, Inc., No. 13-0108 (D. Mo., order entered April 24,…
-
J.M Smucker Prevails on Class Certification Motion in Labeling Suit
A federal court in California has denied the motion to certify statewide monetary or injunctive relief classes in litigation alleging that J.M. Smucker’s labels for Uncrustables and Crisco Original and Butter Flavor Shortening products “mislead consumers into believing that they are healthful, when in reality they both contain trans fat and Uncrustables also contain high fructose…