Category: Issue 562
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Hain Celestial “All Natural” Beverage Suit to Continue
A California federal court has granted in part and dismissed in part a motion to dismiss a putative consumer class action against The Hain Celestial Group alleging that the company mislabels its Sunflower Dream Drink as “all natural” despite containing artificial or synthetic ingredients, including xanthan gum and folic acid. Anderson v. The Hain Celestial Grp.,…
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Environmental Advocacy Group Files Petition Seeking Protections for USDA Scientists
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) arguing that the agency does not adhere to the goals of its Scientific Integrity Policy because the policy “fails to clearly prohibit political suppression and interference.” The policy was released in 2013 after President Barack Obama directed executive…
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Most Packaged Foods Exceed FDA Sodium Recommendations, Says CDC Study
After examining the sodium content of packaged food products sold throughout the United States in 2009, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers have reported that “fewer than half of selected food products met Food and Drug Administration [FDA] sodium-per-serving conditions for labeling as ‘healthy.’” Alexandra Lee, et al., “Sodium Content in Packaged Foods by…
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Does Consumer Awareness of Food Addiction Affect Eating Behavior?
Raising concerns about how the media portrays the concept of food addiction, a new study questions whether endorsement of this model “may cause people to perceive a lack of control over eating which could promote unhealthy dietary behaviors.” Charlotte Hardman, et al., “‘Food Addiction is Real’: The effects of exposure to this message on self-diagnosed…
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Consumer Organizations Allege USDA Violated Procedure with Contaminated Compost Rule
The Center for Food Safety, Center for Environmental Health and Beyond Pesticides have filed a lawsuit against the leaders of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service and National Organic Program (NOP) arguing that USDA failed to allow public comments on a contaminated compost rule before issuing a guidance document on the subject.…
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Putative Class Action Targets Kind LLC’s “Healthy” Claim
Days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a March 2015 letter warning Kind LLC against using the word “healthy” to describe several of its products, a consumer filed a class action against the company alleging negligent misrepresentation and violations of California consumer protection statutes. Kaufer v. Kind LLC, No. 15-2878 (C.D. Cal.,…
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Quinoa Crisps Not “GMO Free” Because of Corn and Soy Content, Lawsuit Claims
A consumer has filed a purported class action against Natural & Tasty LLC alleging that the company misleads consumers by labeling its Goldbaum Quinoa Crisps® as “All Natural” and free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) despite containing ingredients made from corn and soy because “almost all corn and soy grown in the United States are…
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Second Putative Class Action Alleging Unsafe Arsenic Levels in California Wine Filed in Louisiana
A consumer has filed a putative class action in Louisiana federal court against several California wineries alleging that their products contain “dangerously high” levels of arsenic, echoing a similar lawsuit filed in California in March 2015. Crespo-Bithorn v. The Wine Grp. Inc., No. 15-1424 (M.D. La., filed April 20, 2015). The complaint alleges that the…