Category: Issue 550
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Animal Study Claims HFCS “More Toxic Than Table Sugar”
A University of Utah study has reportedly claimed that female mice fed fructose and glucose monosaccharides in proportions similar to the amount of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in human diets “had death rates 1.87 times higher than females on [a] sucrose diet” and “produced 26.4% fewer offspring.” James Ruff, et al., “Compared to Sucrose, Previous…
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New York Times Claims New GE Techniques Allow Companies to Skirt Regulation
According to a January 1, 2015, New York Times article by Andrew Pollack, the advent of new technologies has created a loophole in federal regulations for companies looking to market genetically-engineered (GE) crops. Noting that new techniques do not involve the transfer of genetic material from other species, use bacterium to insert foreign materials or…
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NPR Tracks Trademark Friction in Craft Brewing Market
A January 5, 2015, post on NPR’s “The Salt” blog reports that trademark disputes have come to a head in the craft brewing market, where more than 3,000 companies compete for a dwindling number of pithy beer names. Although many brewers work to resolve issues outside the courtroom, there has also been an increase in…
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Insurer Sues to Avoid Coverage for Templeton Whiskey’s Alleged Mislabeling
Society Insurance has filed a lawsuit in Iowa federal court seeking a declaration that its policy does not require it to defend or indemnify Templeton Rye Spirits in a putative consumer class action alleging that the whiskey distiller falsely represented its products as made from a Prohibition-era recipe. Soc’y Ins. v. Templeton Rye Spirits LLC, No.…
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Operations Manager of Halal Co. Midamar Pleads Guilty
Philip Payne, the former operations manager of Halal-food company Midamar Corp., has pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to make and deliver false certificates and writings stemming from Midamar’s export of beef to Indonesia and Malaysia purportedly prepared in accordance with Islamic law. U.S. v. Payne, No. 14-cr-0143 (N.D. Iowa, request for approval filed January…
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Settlement Reached in Kirin® False-Ad Lawsuit
Anheuser-Busch Cos. has reportedly settled a consumer class action alleging that Kirin® beer is represented as a Japanese import even though the products sold in the United States are brewed with domestic ingredients in California and Virginia. Suarez v. Anheuser-Busch Cos., No. 2013-33620-CA-01 (Fla. Cir. Ct., 11th Jud. Cir., settlement preliminarily approved December 17, 2014).…
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Putative Class Action Alleging Olive Oil Mislabeling to Proceed
A California federal court has denied a motion to dismiss a putative class action alleging that Deoleo USA Inc., importer of Bertolli and Carapelli olive oils, misrepresented the quality of the oils as “extra virgin” despite being mixed with refined oil and using bottles insufficient to prevent sunlight and heat degradation. Koller v. Med Foods,…
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Ninth Circuit Vacates Injunction Denial in “Pur Pom” Case
Finding flaws in a lower court’s likelihood of confusion analysis, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the denial of an injunction sought by Pom Wonderful that would block the sale of Pur Beverages’ “pur pom” energy drink. Pom Wonderful v. Hubbard, No. 14-55253 (9th Cir., order entered December 30, 2014). Pom Wonderful sued…