Category: Issue 524
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Anheuser-Busch Cleared in Sex-Bias Suit
After a three-week trial, a jury has reportedly cleared Anheuser-Busch of sex discrimination in a suit brought by former executive Francine Katz, who had alleged that she was paid less than her male counterparts because of her gender. Katz v. Anheuser-Busch Inc., No. 922-CC09513 (St. Louis Circ. Ct., verdict rendered May 16, 2014). Katz worked…
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Fox Escapes D’Lites Ice Cream Libel Suit
A New York state court has granted a motion for summary judgment and dismissed libel claims filed against Fox Television Stations Inc. by a D’Lites ice cream seller. Prince v. Fox Television Stations Inc., No. 107129/2011 (N.Y. S. Ct., order entered May 6, 2014). Matthew Prince filed a libel suit against Fox after a local…
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South Dakota Supreme Court Allows “Slime” Suit to Proceed
According to news sources, the South Dakota Supreme Court has denied the defendants’ petition seeking review and dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Beef Products, Inc. alleging that the ABC network and news anchor Diane Sawyer, among others, defamed the company by their coverage of the company’s lean, finely textured beef, which has been dubbed…
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Federal Court Reverses ECJ Decision, Citing Primary Jurisdiction
In a putative class action alleging that a food company misled its customers by using the term “evaporated cane juice” (ECJ) instead of “sugar” on its labels, a California federal court has followed the lead of several other courts in recent decisions by dismissing the case without prejudice under the primary jurisdiction doctrine—this time, reversing…
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WHO Releases Alcohol Report
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report on the purported harmful effects of alcohol in 194 WHO member states. The agency attributes 3.3 million deaths in 2012 to the harmful use of alcohol, and it found that the 38.3 percent of the world’s population that drinks alcohol consumes an average of 17 liters…
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WHO Places Obesity in the Spotlight
As the World Health Assembly opened its 67th session in Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan reportedly expressed her deep concern about the increasing incidence worldwide in childhood obesity, stating, “Our children are getting fatter.” Chan announced the formation of a high-level Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. Chaired by Peter Gluckman, the chief…
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EU Member States Criticize “Best Before” Dates
The Netherlands and Sweden have issued a discussion paper arguing that labeling food with “best before” dates results in unnecessary food waste and that European Union (EU) requirements should be adjusted to allow some foods to be sold without them. The paper, which Germany, Denmark, Austria, and Luxembourg also back, echoes a report published in…
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Animal Rights Group Says Food-Label Claims Not Verified
According to a new Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) report titled “Label Confusion: How ‘Humane’ and ‘Sustainable’ Claims on Meat Packages Deceive Consumers,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) fails to verify the accuracy of label claims on most meat and poultry products sold in the United States. The report suggests that food label claims used…